Joshua had a great task before him.  He was to take the place of Moses and lead the Israelites into the land of promise.  The Lord gave him a great word of encouragement.  He would not have to embark on this journey alone.  God would be with him the whole time, never forsaking him.

Joshua 1:5 (ESV)
⁵  No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

We all have to plod over treacherous terrain in life sometimes.  Fortunately, we know that these words continue to be true regarding us because the Hebrews writer quotes them and applies them to God’s people in this dispensation.

Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV)
⁵  Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶  So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

The Hebrews writer combines a couple of passages from the Old Testament to assure us of the Lord’s presence in our lives, regardless of what circumstances we face.    He deals with two of the areas with which we struggle the most—money and man.

Most of us have had some type of money problem.  Problems arise either because we do not have enough money or we have too much.  We must learn that God will be with us, providing for all our needs so that we do not have to fear a lack of necessities.  God will provide (Philippians 4:18).  But, we have to do our part.  We cannot be bad stewards over the things with which God blesses us, nor be covetous, which, not only is a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5), but also gets us into trouble financially.  We must be careful of loving money too much because, as Paul said, it leads to all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).  If we put God first, trusting Him at all times, He will take care of our needs, (Matthew 6:33).

Not only do we not have to fear a lack of necessities, but we also do not have to fear man.  We do not have to fear what man will do, say, or even think about us because we have God as our helper, and He is greater than any man.  Do not ever let the fear of man stop you from serving God and doing what is right.  Whatever the situation, you are not alone.  Whether it be co-workers giving you a hard time, fellow students making fun of you, or family members who resent your stand for the truth, you never have to be afraid or compromise your convictions.  God is with you.  The Hebrews writer is quoting the Psalmist here.  Here is the whole statement.

Psalm 118:5-6 (ESV)
⁵  Out of my distress, I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. ⁶  The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

Comforting words indeed.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.