Introduction:      Never in history, so far as I'm concerned, has there ever been a year like the year we've just come through and who knows what 2010 will bring. In these two verses, there are four incredibly wonderful thoughts as we face this New Year, and I want you to apply them to your heart. I would like you to face this new year by squaring back your shoulders, putting a smile on your face, and saying "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear." If you face this year without fear you’ll need to know some things. First you’ll need to know…

 

I.          THE CONTENTMENT OF HIS PROVISION 

Discontentment is a disease, it takes away your joy and it takes away your peace. What is contentment? Contentment is not getting what you want.  It is, wanting what you already have. Contentment will make a poor man rich. And discontentment makes a rich man poor. Sometimes we want things we don't need. Sometimes we need things we don't want. (I Tim.6:6ff) "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  But having food and raiment let us therewith be content."  If you've got something on your back, and something to eat, and you have Jesus Christ in your heart, my dear friend, you're blessed. 

·         Material things can never bring contentment

Material things can never satisfy the deepest need of your heart. That's the reason the Bible says (Eccl. 5:10), "He that loveth silver shall never be satisfied with silver."  Either you can't get enough of it, or when you get it, you find out it doesn't meet your need.

·         Why can't material things bring contentment?

Jesus says in Luke 12:15, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesses." Your deepest needs will never be met by material things. There’s nothing wrong with material things, they just simply cannot satisfy the deepest longing of your heart. All around us are folks trying to find what the heart yearns for, and only in Jesus can those things be found. 

·         Our Lord is speaking here about living a life without fear. 

Do you know why we have fear?  We have fear because we think our needs are not going to be met. Or because we think that the things we think are meeting our needs are going to be taken away from us. Yet this verse, teaches us that God will never leave us nor forsake us, and godliness with contentment is great gain. We have something that can't be tampered with. We're hearing a lot of talk today about the "r" word, recession. Back in 1929 and 1930 when the stock market crashed, there were men who jumped out of skyscrapers, committed suicide. Why? Because the things they were trying to satisfy their heart with were lost. That's where their security was. Well friend, you better have your security, and your sufficiency and your satisfaction in something that can't be tampered with. Be content with such things as you have.  (Phil. 4:11), "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." This was penned while in prison prompting him to say (v.13), and that literally means, I can do all things through Christ who is pouring His life into me. Have the contentment dear friend, of His provision. The deepest need of your heart can be met in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you would face 2010 without fear, know the contentment of His provision. Not only the contentment of His provision, but know…

 

II.         THE COMPANIONSHIP OF HIS PRESENCE

I don't know what I'm going to face next year. But there's one thing I know, Jesus will never leave me. I know He will not forsake me. In Him I have all I need. This may be the most encouraging verse in the Bible. Fear comes when we're afraid we're going to have to face something we don't understand, and we're going to have to face it alone. We say a double negative is bad English, but evidently it wasn't bad Greek. Here's what it literally says, "I will never, no not ever, no never leave nor forsake you."  Let me give that to you again. "I will never, no not ever, no never leave you nor forsake you." Note how this applies to your life in 2010:

·         When I Am Discouraged His Presence Sees Me Through. 

Look what our Lord says, I will not abandon you. That means I will not give up on you; I will not leave you a helpless orphan. You will not be forsaken. I'm speaking today to some women whose husbands have walked out on them. I'm speaking today to some children whose fathers have forsaken them. I am talking today to some men whose wives have left them and to others who have felt abandoned and forsaken by whatever. But there is one dear friend who will never leave you. So what does that mean to me as I face a new year?  When I'm discouraged, I know that He sees me through, (Psalm 116:8), "For thou hast delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling." 

·         When I Am Lonely His Presence Cheers Me Up. 

We’re all told we’re supposed to be happy, but what happens when you realize you’re not. You see others acting happy, and you feel so lonely. Death, divorce, and desertion make you lonely. Success can make you lonely. You often hear it's lonely at the top. Old age makes you lonely. You can be lonely in a big crowd. But Jesus said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."  What I am saying is that when I am discouraged, His presence sees me through. When I am lonely, His presence cheers me up.  And

·         When I Am Worried, His Presence Just Calms Me Down.

 Do you know what worry is? Worry is a form of atheism. Its acting like God doesn't exist and cannot meet your need. In 2010 some of us just need to calm down. Here’s one more:

·         When I Am Tempted His Presence Will Help Me Out.

You're going to be tempted! The thing that I think helps keep us straight is to know that Jesus Christ never leaves us. Jesus never forsakes us, and when the devil comes and knocks at our door, we can just simply say, "Jesus, please go answer the door."  The Lord is there with us to take care of us. Now here's a third thing. I want you to see it. I have the contentment of His provision. I have the companionship of His presence. And then I have

 

III.       THE CONFIDENCE OF HIS PROMISE. 

A promise is no better than the one who makes it. Who is it that says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee?"  It is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, God. It is He Himself that has said it. This is the confidence of His promise. When I say, God I just don't have the strength for this year. The omnipotent all powerful God says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." And when I say, "God I'm afraid of what I have to go through this year," the omnipresent ever present God says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." But when I say, "God, I won't know what to do." The omniscient all knowing God says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." I am with you. And beloved, He himself hath said it. This is what God is saying…

·         There's the contentment, be content with such things as you have. 

·         There's the companionship, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. 

·         There's the confidence for He hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." 

Friend, this is not just advice from a Baptist preacher. This is a promise from the word of God. He himself hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Friend, put it down big and put it down plain and put it down straight, you can live in 2010 with this kind of a promise. And then last of all, you'll need to know

 

IV.       THE COMFORT OF HIS PROTECTION. 

When you have His contentment, and you have His companionship, and you have His confidence, then you will have His comfort and His courage.  Look in verse six, He hath said, that we may boldly say, "the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me." So how do you face a new year without fear?  Well you find your contentment in Christ. You find your companionship in Christ. You find your confidence in Christ. And then you'll find your comfort in Christ. Now you're going face some things. I'm not trying to tell you that it's going to be all honey and no bees. My dear friend, this coming year may be a very horrendous year for you. But I am telling you that you can stand upon the promises of the word of God and say boldly, "the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do to me."  (Illus: Alexander McLaren).

 

Conclusion:     Now friend, I don't know what you're going to have to go through this coming year, but I know that I know that I know that I know that you can say, "I can boldly say, the Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man shall do to me."  As you face this New Year, will you find your contentment in Jesus? Will you find your companionship in Jesus? Will you find confidence in Jesus? If you will, then you'll find your comfort and your courage in Jesus.