God Is Our Confidence
By Jessica Van Roekel
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the days of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:4-5 ESV).
At different points in my spiritual journey, I’ve needed to reorient my heart’s confidence in the Lord. Distractions abound and take the form of disappointments and discouragement. I grow weary of trying to work in peace with those who seek to destroy it. Difficult situations stretch on without an end in sight, and I lose sight of God. Friends turn to enemies as they seek to destroy my reputation. It’s in these moments that I reach for the Psalms and remember how God fights for me and fills me with confidence.
The title of Hebrews chapter 11 is called “By Faith” or “The Hall of Faith” and contains many stories of faith in action. Faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” coupled with obedience. Abraham left the land of his ancestors to journey to a new land at the command of God. This journey of his led him into a foreign land filled with unknown enemies. His life serves as a reminder that we are not to look for unending security in this present world but that we are traveling through on our way to God’s city and home for us in heaven.
Yet, the present world is hard, and eternity seems a long way off, so what can we do? By faith, we can believe that God responds to us when we sincerely look to him. He gives us his presence—his very self to us—and his joy becomes interwoven into our lives so that we can face our difficult circumstances with confidence. God’s promises apply to our hearts and can carry us through the hard parts of life.
Through faith, we pursue a deeper relationship with God so that we grow in our desire for his presence, power, and purpose in our lives. Our confidence isn’t in getting what we want in this life but in getting more of God in our lives. He is the reason we can stand in front of our enemies and say, with confidence, “I believe the Lord is with me and because of him I can stand.”
God is our confidence. He is our shield and refuge. In him, we find hope in the face of a hopeless situation. Because of God, we can remain at peace when those around us attack. It is God who hides us when we run toward him instead of away. He is our rock and refuge, an everlasting God who has no beginning and end.
True enduring faith that grows our confidence involves trusting God in every circumstance, even the bone-crushing disappointing ones like an unwanted diagnosis or a friendship gone awry. Confidence grows when we take God at his word and remain loyal to him when things don’t go our way. We can move forward when we choose to make God our refuge and believe that he will lift us up in his way and time.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
What’s difficult for you right now? What’s the hard thing standing in the way of confidence in the Lord? Sickness, anxiety, depression, and division seem rampant in society. The problems appear too big yet continue to grow. God longs to be your confidence. Take him at his Word. Spend time with him each day, meditating on his goodness and righteousness. Let him minister to the hurt places in your heart by opening it to him and receiving his care. He hears your heart and longs for you to make him your confidence.
Further Reading:
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