We read from two passages of scripture this morning. First of all, Psalm 118. Psalm 118. And secondly, we'll read a few verses from the epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 13. Hebrews 13. We'll read the first eight verses. Our text this morning is found in Hebrews 13, verses five and six. I want to point out that part of our text in Hebrews 13 is taken from Psalm 118, the sixth verse, especially the last part. I will not fear. What can man do unto me? We hear the word of God first in Psalm 118. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good. because his mercy endureth forever. Let Israel now say that his mercy endureth forever. Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy endureth forever. Let them now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth forever. I called upon the Lord in distress. The Lord answered me and set me in a large place. The Lord is on my side. I will not fear. What can man do unto me? The Lord taketh my part with them that help me. Therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. All nations compassed me about, but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. They compassed me about, yea, they compassed me about, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They compassed me about like bees, they are quenched as the fire of thorns, for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall, But the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song and has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous. The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted. The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore. But he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord, this gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee, for thou hast heard me and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused has become the headstone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord. O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. God is the Lord. which hath showed us light, bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee. Thou art my God, I will exalt thee. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. We turn to the epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 13. We read the first eight verses. Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honorable in all. and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. 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, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Thus far we read from God's infallibly inspired word. As I said, our text this Thanksgiving morning is found here in Hebrews 13, verses 5 and 6. 5 and 6, where we read, 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, so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear. what man shall do unto me. Beloved congregation, in our Lord Jesus Christ, true thanksgiving is something which is very difficult to find in our day. It seems that discontent and pessimism are the basic spirit of the age in which We live. Those who honestly face reality, who are not blind to events, see a present and a future which may well be troubled by hardships and unrest and social tumult. All the dissent and protest and strife and lawlessness of our times are but outcroppings of the deep and underlying dissatisfaction and discontent and despair which fill people's hearts and souls. Many would attempt to convey an attitude of thankfulness today and for the most part this Thanksgiving Day, too, in our land is characterized by a relative abundance of the things of this present time. And in the midst of all its trouble, the unbelieving world strives to still think positively, would point out that things could be much worse, holds out its vain promises of a better day to come, meanwhile attempting to hide its discontent and worry beneath a superficial covering of carnal frivolity and celebration. But underneath it all, there is no genuine joy, no true contentment, and therefore no real thanksgiving. What about us? Are you content? It's folly to talk about being thankful if you aren't content. Contentment underlies true thanksgiving. I'm sure that today our tables too will be filled with the bounties of the earth. But are we deep down content? We should be. God's people are called to be content. As believers, we have no reason to have long faces and despondent looks. God's people ought be manifest as a happy people, a joyful people, yes, a thankful people. Really, we are the only people in all the world that have the right and privilege to know true joy and real contentment, and therefore, genuine thankfulness. How easy it is for us too to sometimes be carried along on that tide of discontent. How easy it is to be followers of that philosophy of the world that finds its satisfaction in things. How easy it is to be characterized by covetousness, always seeking more, always desiring that which belongs to someone else. how easy it is to be deceived by the world's superficial happiness, by the world's promises of joy. Even today, Thanksgiving Day, it's difficult for us to have a proper attitude of thankfulness, difficult for us to be truly content. And it's exactly because of these realities that The epistle to the Hebrews exhorts us to be content with such things as ye have. This last chapter of the letter to the Hebrews contains several exhortations. And these exhortations are specific applications of the basic and central teaching of this epistle. They flow out of the truth that Christ is the exalted king priest in the house of God. These exhortations flow from the great principle of a better covenant, which is based upon better promises. It would hold before us the heavenly Canaan, in contrast to the earthly land. Indeed, this is surely part of the law, which is written not simply on tables of stone, but on the tables of the heart. As strangers and pilgrims who walk by faith, we are to be content. Our conversation, our life, our walk is to be without covetousness. Have we learned to be content with such things as we have so that we are able to be truly thankful? The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4, for I have learned, I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. Truly, it's a gift of grace. And we learn by the grace of God more and more to be content, to be truly thankful today, and every day must also learn to be content. And so this Thanksgiving morning, we consider this Word of God under the theme, A Walk in Contentment. We notice, first of all, the meaning, secondly, the reason, and finally, the result. a walk in contentment, the meaning, the reason, and the result. Our text is speaking of our conversation, and evidently this refers to our total life, our whole manner of life, refers to our walk in relationship to the things of this present time. refers to our walk inward and outward, personal and in relation to others in every sphere of life. With respect to this entire conversation, our walk in the midst of this world, it is to be without covetousness. Let your conversation be without covetousness. For you see, the opposite of contentment is covetousness. How frequently the Scriptures sound this same note of warning with regard to covetousness. Of course, the 10th commandment of God's law expressly declares, thou shalt not covet. To his disciples, Christ said, take heed and beware of covetousness, For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. We need to pray with the psalmist in Psalm 119, verse 36. Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness. Scripture warns of the deceitfulness of riches. According to Scripture, As Paul warns young Timothy, the love of money is the root of all evil. We are not to gather treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. What a necessary exhortation this is, our conversation. Our actual life and walk show that this cannot be heard too often, especially that's true today in this materialistic and pleasure-crazed world in which we live. The world is characterized by countless attractions and allurements and temptations in this regard. Our age is one that craves after the things that are below, and our society demands instant gratification. I want it, and I want it now. As John tells us, all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, Are you not also inclined to that sin of covetousness? Is not covetousness one of the chief characteristics of our sinful nature? Indeed it is. By nature we seek not God and we are not rich toward God. The sinner seeks his riches, his life, his joy, the satisfaction of his soul in things apart from God. We put our confidence in things, in possessions, in riches. To be content with such things as we have seems impossible. Always we want more. We want things to be bigger and better. We are not content with bread for today, but we want the assurance that there is plenty for a long time to come. And anxiously we can still ask, What shall we eat? What shall we drink? Wherewithal shall we be clothed? We covet. Literally, the word covetousness signifies love of money. Let your conversation, your walk, be without silver-loving money. That's the magic word, isn't it? The key to all this. treasures and pleasures of this world. With it, you can obtain food, clothing, and abundance, pleasures, honors, power, influence, money talks. And love of money is the craving for more, always more, the constant desire for more, and how that love of money controls the lives of people, of individuals, big business, corporations, governments. What greed! People are willing to do virtually anything for money, willing to be dishonest, lie, steal, kill, sell their very souls. Husbands and fathers may become workaholics, neglecting wife, family, things which are spiritual, the church. Mothers, too, tempted to neglect their first and foremost calling, a high and noble calling as wife and mother, keeper of the home. Some seek the treasures of this world, squander them as quickly as they acquire them. Poor stewards of what they obtain may live for the sheer enjoyment and pleasure of all that this life offers. And then there are those who do all they can to accumulate, to pile up the wealth of this world They gloat over what they have obtained, but none of them are ever really satisfied, never really content, no matter what they are able to get. We are called to be content, to have the inner state of our soul in harmony with the reality of our circumstances. regardless of whether those circumstances are difficult or very favorable, regardless of whether we are very wealthy or whether we are struggling financially, regardless of how much more our friends or neighbors or relatives may have. Don't forget that true contentment is never found in the wicked, the unbelieving, in man apart from God's grace, contentment is a blessed gift of God, given only to his people. But the Lord exhorts us to exercise this gift, this virtue of contentment. Apparently the writer to the Hebrews was speaking to people who had only the bare necessities of life. Most of us really can't imagine that kind of situation and circumstances. Most of us have never known real poverty or hardship in comparison We're quite rich, and yet we are often not content. We covet, we become anxious, we worry. Then think about the future. Difficult times that lie ahead for the faithful people of God in these latter days. Think of the days of the anti-Christian kingdom, thankfully a brief time, but dreadful days in which God's people will not be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast and will be hated, despised, persecuted. Would we be able to be content? Will we be tempted to sacrifice the truth to deny Christ, that we may have the things of this world? God forbid. May He strengthen our faith. May He grant more and more the grace of contentment. Notice why, the reason we should be content. The writer to the Hebrews quotes a promise of the Lord given in the Old Testament at several different occasions. Very similar to the word spoken to the patriarch Jacob when he was at Bethel fleeing home the wrath of his brother Esau. Similar to the word of God given to Joshua as he was about to lead the children of Israel into the promised land. This promise is given to these Hebrew Christians. Yea, beloved, it's given to us. We must be content, for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. That's the promise the Lord gives to his people. Oh, to be forsaken of God is the most terrible thing that could happen to a person. That implies utter wrath and condemnation. Yet, for our sakes, that's exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ experienced in his sufferings. You children know his awful cry in the darkness of the cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Forsaken of God, for our sakes. But for Christ's sake, God promises that he will always be with his people. Does that mean that he will always give us an abundance of material things? Oh, no. We know better. Sometimes he leads us in difficult ways, but through those difficult ways, too, he will not leave us nor forsake us. And let us remember these earthly things are not the important things of life. We often think and act as if they are, but they're not. But to have God as our God, our Father, to belong unto our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, to possess already now everlasting life in principle, that's the important thing. No, we don't know what lies ahead, but we know this, God will not forsake his people. Be content, therefore, be not covetous. Then you too can boldly say the last part of this text, the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. We need not fear what the wicked, the ungodly may do to us. We need not be afraid even of the persecution of the Antichrist. For the Lord is our helper. Having this assurance, you have everything. You have every reason to be thankful. As I mentioned, these words are a quotation from the Old Testament, Psalm 118, verse 6, where the psalmist was himself surrounded by evil men who hated and oppressed him. But he's not afraid of them, not afraid what they will do to him, for Jehovah, the faithful one, is his helper. And that word helper portrays one who is there on the spot. He runs to the scene where there is a cry for help. Imagine a child, your child or grandchild in dire need screaming for help. Wouldn't you be there as quickly as possible? Of course. But that's the way the Lord answers the cries of his beloved. The idea of the text is that when we cry, there he is. He's always there as we look unto him in faith. Again, what the future holds, we do not know. The Lord knows. He has ordained it all. Will we have our daily bread in abundance tomorrow? Will we have our employment? Will we enjoy good health and strength? We don't know. But this we do know. The Lord will not leave us, so that we can boldly say, even in the face of opposition, the ungodly, He is my helper. That, beloved, is the language of faith. Possessing such faith, we can say this with boldness, courage, confidence. even though it may sometimes appear that all things are against us. " The old patriarch Jacob felt that. When he thought Joseph had been killed and Simeon was in Egypt in prison, now the brothers must take their youngest brother Benjamin with them back to Egypt. He cried out, all these things are against me. That's the way it can seem at times. And it may be the case that the world is against us, hates us, on account of our faith would seek to deprive us of many earthly things. Throughout history, God's people at various times have been brought into dire straits as far as their daily bread is concerned. Exactly because they confess the name of the Lord. Such things are happening today in various parts of the world. Persecution increases. And undoubtedly, it will happen in our land What can we say concerning these things? What will our attitude be? How do we view the things of the future? Whether at this point we have little or we have much? Will we be covetous? Will we join the world in its mad rush after the things that perish? O Beloved, let us pray. Let us pray that our faith may be increased. Let us pray for that grace of contentment and that we may live from day to day in the word. Grace to seek the kingdom of God, trusting that the Lord will supply in his fatherly goodness and faithfulness, in his wisdom, that which we need, both for body and soul. Let us pray that we may live by his precious promises, doing these things by the grace of God. We more and more grow in contentment. We learn to be content. Beloved, nothing can be substituted for the blessed contentment in knowing the Lord is with us. That's Psalm 23. Even through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why? For thou art with me. To seek contentment in our money, our investments, our health, our honor, is folly. They all perish. Over them lies that shadow of death, but nothing can take away the contentment that is in the Lord. That lasts. That endures. Ultimately, it's everlasting. The shadow of death cannot shade its brightness. Time and all things are transcended by it. Death, sorrow, pain, sickness, disease, suffering, adversity, but also prosperity and life and health and all earthly happiness. None of these can be compared with, nor can they mar the contentment we have knowing the Lord is our helper. who will never forsake us. Essentially, discontentment is the consciousness that I'm righteous, righteous in Christ, that I am principally holy now in Christ, that I have everlasting life now in principle. Yea, I belong to my faithful Savior, that always my Father loves me and that all things come to me from his fatherly hand. That contentment which results in joy will find expression in true thanksgiving. The literal meaning of the Old Testament word thank is to reach out. and extend the hand. It really means to point to all the good things that we have received. It means that we count our many blessings and name them one by one as the old hymn put it. It means too that we speak of all these good things as gifts which we do not deserve, but which we have forfeited by our sin and disobedience. And then we look up to the living God, the Lord Jehovah, our God. And we point to him as the rich and beneficent giver of all good, yea, of every good and perfect gift. And we declare as before his face the praise of his name. And we also speak of that praise to one another and in the midst of this world. That true thankfulness implies three things. First, It's the acknowledgement of our own unworthiness. Our own unworthiness. We don't deserve anything and nothing belongs to us. We as creatures are always under obligation to God. Even if we would begin to serve him perfectly tomorrow, we would still be but unprofitable servants doing only what is our duty to do. However, we're not only undeserving, but we are also completely unworthy. For we are miserable sinners, so often unthankful and rebellious, manifesting an attitude of entitlement. Think about it. Think about how much we take for granted How different it would be if our attitude as God's children, if we were more mindful of our sin and unworthiness. How wonderful it would be if we would bear in mind God's great goodness towards us in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Secondly, thankfulness always involves acknowledgement that we, can never pay God back. What shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards us? All that we have, he has given us. We own nothing, and therefore we can never repay the Lord. In pride, we so often think we deserve God's favor and recognition, but true thankfulness is the acknowledgement that all we can really do is thank God. Say thank you to the Most High God. And then we ought fall upon our knees and thank the Lord that we are able to say thank you with sincere hearts. And finally, our thankfulness is also always praise. Of course, that can never be lacking. If as guilty sinners we have received the amazing grace and the salvation, which is in our Lord Jesus Christ, true thankfulness means true joy of heart and mind and soul. He will surely point to God and give praise to Him, the God of our salvation. Beloved, the Lord is our helper. What shall mere man do unto us? He, the Almighty, whose are all things, who made them according to his eternal purpose in order that they might serve the end whereunto he made them. He who holds every creature in the palm of his hand, supplies them with life and power, keeps them in their position, controls their every movement so that they cannot move, but by his omnipotent will, he the Lord who revealed his unfathomable love towards us when he gave his only begotten son that we might have everlasting life and who surely causes all things to work together for good unto our eternal salvation. He, that great God, is our helper. He is for us. He cares. He leads, he provides. What then, shall man do unto me? Mere man, who also is in the power of my sovereign helper? Then you see, don't you, that we may boldly say this. No, we may not say it. In the way of covetousness, we cannot say it in an attempt yet to serve God and mammon. We cannot trust in things and in Jehovah, but in the way of true contentment, we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. Say it boldly. Even though that speech seems contrary to everything that we see, we can say it boldly because we lay hold upon His word, His promise. I will not leave Thee, nor forsake Thee. Thanks be to God. Amen. Most merciful and gracious Heavenly Father, thanks be unto Thee. All praise, all adoration, Thou alone art worthy. We pray, Father, for that grace of contentment and that it may be manifest in us in true thankfulness. Make us this day and every day of our pilgrim way, a thankful people that live in the consciousness that thou art with us. Thou art our helper. Forgive us, Father, the weakness of our faith and the evil loss of our flesh. For Christ's sake, amen.