There is only one place where we can put our hope for the future without fear of being let down. If we are looking ahead and placing our hope in the government, election results, political deals, our employer, or any relationship, we may be sadly disappointed. But if instead we place our confidence in God, who loves and cares for us, we will not be overwhelmed even if, or when, the unexpected happens.
Now Faith is Confidence in What We Hope For!
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”
Hebrews 11:1
There are those times when looking ahead all we can see is a blank page. The future looks uncertain, and it is not possible to make any definite plans, but that is okay. In those situations, there is the opportunity for a new confidence in God to develop as we wait and allow His plans to unfold.
God confidence vs Self Confidence
The reason we struggle with ‘not-knowing’ what is going to happen next, is because we like to depend on our own ability to work things out. Some of us like structure and planning, to be methodical and organized – and that is a worthwhile skill. It can make life easier and often less stressful – so long as we don’t hold too tightly to our plans!
We need to be willing to hold lightly our plans, while holding tightly to the faithfulness of God.
Related Post: Hold Tightly – For He Who Promised is Faithful
Letting go of control and trusting in God sounds easy when everything is going well. But when we hit a rough or difficult patch, those are the times when we start to learn to place our confidence in God and trust in Him alone!
Put Your Confidence in God Not Man
Being able to look ahead with confidence in God, without fear for the future, is only possible with the assurance of our faith. It is based on knowing that God is faithful to His word and that He rewards those who seek Him. Our faith is founded on what we believe, but it is only active when we act according to our beliefs!
Our faith is founded on what we believe and when we act according to our beliefs!
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In the Old Testament, when Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah, Hezekiah king of Judah prepared for war. Hezekiah appointed military officers and built defences around the city of Jerusalem. He did all that he could to protect the city from attack and he encouraged the people with these words:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.”
2 Chronicles 32:7-8
Wow, what powerful words of faith when faced with a life-threatening situation! With the same faith, when faced with overwhelming problems we can declare that ‘greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.’
When it is said, to put your confidence in God not man, it doesn’t mean that we sit back and do nothing. There are times when we still need to respond to whatever is coming against us, step out in faith, and do all that we can. Then when we have done all that is possible, we trust in God for the outcome!
Put Your Confidence in God Verse
When we have done all that we can, then we stand in faith. It may be that we are called to stand for quite some time, and the situation may even appear to get worse. But we hold firmly to our confidence, with perseverance, which is a characteristic of God’s people.
We are waiting for God to act on our behalf, and we pray with hope and expectancy!
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16
On What Are You Basing Your Confidence?
That is a question to challenge us all – and the question that Sennacherib asked Hezekiah. After Sennacherib’s initial invasion of Judah it was sometime later before he looked towards the city of Jerusalem. While he was laying siege to another city, he sent his officers with a message for Hezekiah:
“On what are you basing your confidence, that you remain in Jerusalem under siege?”
2 Chronicles 32:10
The full message was a deliberate attempt to intimidate Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Sennacherib was full of self-confidence – he made the mistake of treating God the same as the gods of the surrounding nations. He relied on the strength and power of his army, and on his own military success!
But Hezekiah was placing his hope and confidence in God. He stood in faith, and when the threat increased, he prayed. Isaiah and Hezekiah, in this time of national crisis, sought God in prayer. This was the word that God sent to Hezekiah through Isaiah:
“Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word the Lord has spoken against him: “Virgin Daughter Zion despises and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.”
Isaiah 37:21-22
Because Hezekiah sought God in prayer, God turned Sennacherib’s mockery back onto his own head. Hezekiah did not have to fight because God fought for him – the strength and power of Sennacherib’s army were broken without a sword being raised. God saved the people of Jerusalem – ‘He took care of them on every side.’
Looking Ahead With Confidence in God
We can look ahead to the future with confidence in God, with peace in our hearts and minds, when we trust in His faithfulness to us. It is easy to claim the peace of God when everything is going well, but the peace that passes all understanding comes in and through times of trouble.
In the middle of uncertainty, and unsettling times, we can receive God’s peace and grow in confidence in Him. God is the One that we can rely on and depend on, He never lets us down. There is no need to fear the future, whatever it may hold, because God is with us and we are secure in Him!
5 Confidence in God Scriptures
Here are some encouraging words of Scripture from the New Testament which emphasize the basis of our faith. Our confidence in God is by His grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. Now we who were far from God, have been brought near and are included in God’s family!
- “Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:4-5
- “In him (Jesus) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Ephesians 3:12
- “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36
- “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.” 1 John 3:21-22
- “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15
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