An elderly grandfather took his little grandson for an afternoon walk. After they had walked a while, the old man asked the boy, “How far do you think we’ve walked?” The boy answered, “I don’t know, grandpa.” The grandfather asked, “Well, where are you right now?” Again, the boy answered, “I don’t know, grandpa.” At this point the grandfather chuckled a bit and said, “It sounds to me like you’re lost.” To that the little fellow replied, “No, I can’t be lost, grandpa. I’m with you.”

Hebrews 13:5 says to the Christian:

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (N.K.J.V.)

Those words “I will never leave you nor forsake you” quote a promise that God once made to the Israelites through their leader, Moses, regarding their conquest of the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 31:1-6). A short while later, following Moses’ death, God made the promise specifically to Joshua, the man who succeeded Moses as the leader of the Israelites and led them in the actual conquering of Canaan (Joshua 1:5). But what’s wonderful about the passage in Hebrews is that it lifts the promise out of the Old Testament storyline and places it firmly down upon the life of the Christian.

The immediate context of the promise, as it is offered in Hebrews 13:5, involves the sin of covetousness. Why is covetousness a sin? It’s a sin because it shows a lack of contentment, which indicates that you aren’t trusting God fully regarding your circumstances. And what other sin usually rides on the back of a lack of contentment? Worry. You worry that what you have won’t be enough.

So, the point of Hebrews 13:5 is this: If you are a Christian, you should eliminate covetousness, a lack of contentment, and worry from your spiritual resume. After all, you are a child of the King. And the King’s kids don’t go around lacking!

Christian, because you know Christ as Savior, you have the Creator of the universe in your corner. That means that you have unlimited resources at your disposal through Him. The One who makes sure the birds of the air are fed will make sure that you are fed (Matthew 6:25-26). The One who makes sure the lilies of the field are clothed will make sure that you are clothed (Matthew 6:27-30). If you will seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, He will add to you all the necessities of life (Matthew 6:31-34).

Really, though, the Christian can apply this promise “I will never leave you nor forsake you” to any area of life. Perhaps you are contented right now but confused about your current station in life. Jesus promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Perhaps you haven’t reached a state of worry yet but you do find yourself in a very difficult circumstance. Jesus promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Perhaps you are even standing at death’s door. Jesus promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” and that promise extends into the afterlife.

Christian, like that little boy who was walking with his grandfather, your job is simply to trust in the One who is doing the leading. Just place your hand in His and know that He is never lost. He always knows the way into places and out of places. Most importantly He knows the way home. And when you truly grasp this profound truth, then you’ll be able to genuinely say with confidence, “No, I can’t be lost, Jesus. I’m with you.”