The words
“confident” and “confidence” come very often in contemporary advertising. For
example: automobile manufacturers, pharmaceutical firms, publishers, promote
their products and their work with confidence. Confidence is a matter of trust
and advertisers invariably ask us to trust their products, their company and
want us to buy their products.
Meaning of confidence:
1. Trust or faith in a person or thing.
2. A trusting relationship: I took
them into my confidence.
3. a. That which is confided; a secret: A
friend does not betray confidences.
b. A feeling of assurance that a confidant will
keep a secret: I am telling you this in strict confidence.
4. A feeling of assurance, especially of
self-assurance.
5. The state or quality of being certain: I have
every confidence in your ability to succeed.
Synonyms: confidence, assurance, aplomb,
self-confidence, self-possession
Everyone lives by
faith in something, and our faith is only as good as the person or the thing we
are trusting. Very often the world system asks us to put our confidence and
trust on wealth and possessions! We are going to compare this confidence to Biblical
confidence. For a believer faith means trusting in God and doing what He wants,
regardless of the circumstances and consequences, Ref: Gen 37, on Joseph’s profile. Book of Hebrews (Ref: Heb 11)
relates how God takes ordinary people and helps them face tremendous challenges
and do incredible things because they have confidence in Him.
In the Old Testament
we find the lives of various people who experienced these great victories, like
Joshua and Deborah who subdued Kingdoms; Joshua
and Judges 4-5. Daniel was saved from the mouth of lions; Dan: 6. Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego were kept from the fiery furnace; Dan: 3. A widow’s son was brought back to life by the prophet
Elisha; 2 Kings 4:8-37. Hebrews 11
has been called faith’s Hall of Fame,
and the author surprised us by his conclusion. These mighty Jewish heroes did
not receive God’s final reward, because they all died before Jesus came. In
God’s total plan, these Jewish heroes and those of us who endure much testing
would be rewarded together.
We too can experience
victory through faith in Christ. Our victories over oppression may be like
those of the Old Testament saints, but more likely our victories will be
directly related to the role God wants us
to play. The Bible says,
in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through him who
strengthens me." When God is our motivator, why do we fear? God loves
everyone in this world and His intension was to bless His people.
As we read in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control", let us be confident and take the first step in trusting Him and God will guide our steps further. The Bible says, in Proverbs 3:26 says, "For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared". Having a steadfast faith and trust in God does not guarantee a happy, carefree life without any trials along the road. On the contrary, the reality will be our faith almost guarantees us some form of abuse from the world. While we are on this part of eternity we will be never able to fully comprehend the purpose of our suffering, but we can be assured that God will keep His promise to us.
“In quietness and confidence shall be your strength”- Isaiah 30:15. Are
we limiting God by the way we think? Imagine a circumstance that we can
consider really bad. We can use whatever descriptive words we want - difficult,
hard, agonizing, frustrating, strenuous, debilitating, horrific, sorrowful,
confusing, perturbing, penetrating or painful. Is there a problem too awful or
too hard for God to handle? If the answer to the above questions are NO; what is
it that sopping us from trusting Him?
When the voice of
disqualification comes to remind us of all the areas that we have fallen short
in, that’s the time to turn to Jesus and be reminded of the One who qualified
us perfectly by His undeserved, unmerited favour. It is better to remind
ourselves that God gave His one and only Son Jesus Christ to die in our place,
and because of that we shall live.
“But those who wait on the Lord shall
renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” Isa:
40:31.
Do we truly believe that God will keep His promise to us?
References:
1. Dr. Ed Murphy. The Handbook for Spiritual Warfare. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
Publishers, 1992, 1996, pgs: 432-436.
2. Jay E. Adams. Critical Stages of
Biblical Counseling, Finishing Well, Breaking Through, Getting Started. New
Jersey
3. Jay E. Adams. How to Help People Change, The Four-step Biblical Process.Grand
Rapids
4. John F. MacArthur, JR.Wayne Nashville
5. Jay E. Adams. Lectures on Counseling.Grand
Rapids
3. Jay E. Adams. How to Help People Change, The Four-step Biblical Process.
4. John F. MacArthur, JR.
5. Jay E. Adams. Lectures on Counseling.
6. The Holy Bible, New King James
Version, Women of Destiny Bible. Women Mentoring women Through the Scriptures,
A Spirit Filled Life Bible. Nashville ,
Tennessee
7. Warren W.
Wiersbe. Devot ions for confidence
& Integrity, Hebrews & John. Colorado ,
Springs, Colorado
Website References:
1. John 1 NKJV - The Eternal Word - In the beginning was - Bible Gateway
The Eternal
Word. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things
were made through ...
2. 1 John 1 NKJV - What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched - Bible Gateway
What Was
Heard, Seen, and Touched. 1 That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked
upon, and our ...
3. John 1 New King James Version | The New Bible.com
Bible.com is
all new! Enjoy a free online Bible from You Version. Now, the simple, ad-free
Bible experience loved by millions is available at Bible.com.
4. Confidence - definition of confidence by the Free Online ...
1. a feeling
of trust in a person or thing I have confidence in his
abilities. 2. belief in one's own abilities; self-assurance.
5. Building Self-Confidence - Prepare Yourself for Success - Stress ...
You CAN
become be self-confident! Learn how to build self-confidence
that will really last with our 3-step action plan and video.
6. What The Bible Says About Self Confidence
ezinearticles.com/?What-The-Bible-Says-About-Self-Confidence&id=...
Self confidence or self
esteem is very important for a human to prosper in his life. A person without confidence
will never trust himself and will miss ...
What verses
in the Bible help with increasing confidence
in yourself?
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