I want to blog about our confidence in God (aka faith). Everyone places their faith in someone or something. We live our lives according to our values, perspectives, and overall world view. We need to trust God.
Webster’s on ‘confidence’ – “a state of trust, reliance, a feeling of hope on which one relies, self-reliance, a secret, to tell someone something private.”
Perhaps you have heard of…
Friend-fidence: when a person places their trust in friends or close relationships with other people they consider to be their friends.
Cash-fidence: when a person places their trust or security in the strength of their financial portfolio or accumulation of financial wealth.
Group-fidence: when a person places their trust or security in the social group or organization in which they belong or are a part of.
Job-fidence: when a person places their trust and security in the job that they have or the things that they do within their capability.
Stuff-fidence: when a person places their faith and trust in their accumulation of possessions in which they have acquired over time.
Today’s blog is about God-fidence. This is when a person places their faith and trust in the living Lord Jesus Christ and they believe that the promises in His Word are as true for them for as they were when written.
The psalmist proclaimed, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” – Psalm 118:8,9
The word ‘princes’ used here infers a political leader. While we can appreciate some of the things our political leaders do for us; we must never allow our faith in them to supersede (become greater than) the faith we have in the Lord. People often place their faith in the leaders they are submitted to. This may be okay for a person who has good discernment, however, it’s equally important to never allow our trust in any leader to be greater than our trust in the Lord.
“In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.” – Proverbs 14:26,27
The phrase ‘the fear of the Lord’ infers a reverence on the part of the worshipper. It describes a healthy understanding of the one fearing God that reveals who He is and what He is capable of allowing, good or bad.
Jesus said it this way, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” – Matthew 10:28
Too many people only want to look at the goodness of God; they forget that He is holy. If we want to see God than we too must be holy.
The Apostle Peter reminds us, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:15,16
Holiness is as it does; the only person who can make us holy is Jesus. His Word acts as our guide to better understand His divine nature and the path we must take to become more like Him. As we come to understand the dual nature of the Lord, His love and grace coupled with his judgment and holiness; we come to fear (reverence) Him in a way that brings honor and glory to Him. Too many people blame God for the bad things that happen to them or others in life. They reject His love because they don’t understand the ‘why’ part of the crisis. One man said to God, ‘Lord, if I were you, I would do things totally different.’ God replied, ‘if you were Me, you would do them exactly as I do them; have faith in Me and follow Me.’
Too many people tend to place their faith (confidence) in other things or people in order to cope with life’s issues, but in the end, if they die without Jesus, they die lost and hopeless, because they rejected the very God who died for their sin and rose again to save them.
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” – 1 John 2:28,29
As believers in Jesus we are all looking for the Lord’s return; either in the Rapture or the Resurrection. In either case, we want to be and live with confidence that when Jesus does appear to receive us, we will not be ashamed. We must walk in God’s righteousness, placing our faith in Jesus.
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” – 1 John 5:14,15
Having a strong faith in Jesus compels us to pray with confidence, believing that what we ask of the Lord, He will give to us if it’s His will for our lives. Our faith-filled prayers will bring about a positive result, a God-result.
Jeremiah said it this way: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” – Jeremiah 17:9,10
The first time we see the word heart used in scripture is in context to the depravity of man after the fall, but before the flood of Noah.
“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” – Genesis 6:5,6
The word for heart used here (Hebrew: leb) references ‘one’s feelings, their will, and their intellect.’ More specifically it references ‘the center or seat of anything; in this case, the emotions.’ I want to have faith in God to do something outside of myself, but I am not sure if God will come through for me. This is where our faith in God must manifest. Sometimes when God calls you out, He doesn’t give you all the information or resources you think that you will need to do what He has called you to do. Instead He just gives you enough to get you started on your journey and He walks with you each step of the way. He wants us to trust Him for everything; He wants us to walk with Him and have faith in Him like the loving, heavenly Father that He is.
We need some relevant passages in scripture that will help us develop a healthy God-fidence. There are over 60 passages of scripture that render various forms of the phrase ‘trust in the Lord’ in the Bible? It’s as if the Lord was trying to tell us something; we can trust in Him!
Jeremiah reminds us, “Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited.” Jeremiah 17:5,6
Here we see a picture of a man who puts his trust in men and in his own strength; whose heart has departed from the Lord. Then we see a description of what that looks like, a shrub planted in a parched and desolate place.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7,8
Here we see a picture of a man who puts his trust and hope in God. The description is of ‘a tree planted by waters with a healthy root system.’ He can withstand the rage of a storm because his strength comes from the Lord. This tree, this person, has no fear or anxiety; and they continue to bear fruit.
Which would you rather be; a shrub in a parched and desolate place or a tree planted near water that continues to bear fruit? This kind of God-fidence moves believers into new places in their walk with the Lord. We are always growing, developing, and stretching our faith as we learn to trust in the Lord. God is continually faithful to us because He loves us and wants us to fulfill His perfect plan for our life.
If you need more confidence in your life, than you need to begin each day with Jesus. Spend time with the Master, in His Word, in prayer, doing your devotions and worshipping Him. This kind of discipline and attitude makes for a God-fident lifestyle! I encourage you to be confident in God, trust Him, He loves you.
Maranatha!
Encourage Men 
🔥
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