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Daily Devotion: Hebrews 13:5

Hebrews 13:5    "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Have you ever experienced the feeling of loneliness?  Being homesick is a very rough condition through which anyone has to battle. There may be times when we all need moments of quietness, or moments to be alone, to collect our thoughts; but we were not made to live to ourselves. It was never intended for man not to have interaction with other people. In fact when God looked at His finished product of creation, He declared, "It is very good."  There was only one part of creation which God said was not good. "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone." (Genesis 2:18)

The Lord provided the remedy by making Eve from the rib of Adam. He placed them in the perfect place with all their needs being provided. Because of their transgression God cast them out of the Garden of Eden and placed flaming swords to prevent them from re-entering the Garden and eating of the Tree of Life.  We have no idea the dimensions of the Garden of Eden, but they were sent from that protected place into "a big world" when they were cast out.  They began to multiply and replenish (fill) the earth. Even when God cast them out of the Garden, He provided the means whereby they would never be alone. There would be other humans who would be living around them.

But, there are times when other humans cannot fill the void that can come into our lives. There are times when though we are surrounded by people, we can experience the feeling of loneliness. There are many ways in which we try to fill that void. Some people tend to fill their time with work, others with pets, and still others with hobbies or "trinkets" (toys - for both young and old) in trying to rid themselves of that lonely feeling.  Our "conversation," or way of living can become consumed with covetousness, or trying to satisfy our "wants and desires."  Sometimes, that can even become our characteristic whereby others see us. "He/she is always wanting more and more."

God is good and His mercy endures forever. He has provided the ultimate cure for loneliness. Yes, He has placed other people around us. Yes, He does allow us to enjoy our work, pets, or hobbies.  But when we still have that feeling of loneliness that eats at us, we can find the answer by looking deep inside our hearts and minds. For it is there that our God abides within us. It is there that He speaks words of comfort and peace.  It is there that He speaks to us saying, "I will NEVER leave you and I will NEVER turn away from you."  He is with us constantly. May we NEVER turn away from Him. 

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