Money

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” [Hebrews 13.5-6]

Where did God say, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you"?

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” [Deuteronomy 31.6]

And...

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” [Deuteronomy 31.8]

Not only was "I will never fail or abandon you" said, but also:

The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? [Psalm 118.6]

It matters that we understand God by His own Word. It matters also that our faith is validated by His Word and NOT our experience or man's interpretation of our experiences. If our experience exhibits what God has said, great! However, if our experience does not bear witness to the Word of God, then the problem is with man and not God.

It is not ironic that the context of where God said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you" is found when Israel was about to enter the Promised Land to acquire it. This is prophetic of the time when believers in the Messiah take authority and power in the Kingdom of God as Jesus said:

And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it. [Matthew 11.12]

Another translation says it like this:

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. [Matthew 11.12 NKJV]

Either way one looks at it, there is violent activity involved in Kingdom work just as there was when Joshua led Israel to conquer and acquire the Promised Land. But God has said He will never fail believers and He will never abandon them!

Then, what does money have to do with it? Well, frankly, the pursuit of money is likely the most distracting endeavor known to mankind today. If a person today is worried about what they will eat, where they will sleep, and what they will wear, there is little chance of them being focused on Kingdom work.

Many people are excellent examples of "Christianity" until they face what Jesus said to the rich man:

Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” [Matthew 19.21]

In other words, "If what you have, or wish to have, prevents you from serving God wholeheartedly, then you are NOT following God."

Oh God! At the time of year when so many face monetary concerns, You make clear that those concerns are the very thing that separate people from You. Help us, Father, to take violent measures to pursue You and Your will, abandoning our own desires so that we might realize that You have never abandoned us!