We all want it and need it. We want to walk through life with the kind of confidence that gives us peace and joy with power to be all we are created to be. Where does this confidence come from? The Lord! The Lord’s confidence in us is more than enough to live life to the full!
“God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace.” Hold on to those words and repeat them often today and see what happens in and through us!
Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs
Psalm 29, The Message
A David Psalm
1-2 Bravo, God, bravo!
Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”
In awe before the glory,
in awe before God’s visible power.
Stand at attention!
Dress your best to honor him!
3 God thunders across the waters,
Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—
God, across the flood waters.
4 God’s thunder tympanic,
God’s thunder symphonic.
5 God’s thunder smashes cedars,
God topples the northern cedars.
6 The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,
The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.
7-8 God’s thunder spits fire.
God thunders, the wilderness quakes;
He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.
9 God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”
10 Above the floodwaters is God’s throne
from which his power flows,
from which he rules the world.
11 God makes his people strong.
God gives his people peace.
TRUTH: Above all—GOD! “God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace.
Proverb 14:20-26, The Message
An unlucky loser is shunned by all,
but everyone loves a winner.
21 It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need,
but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!
22 Isn’t it obvious that conspirators lose out,
while the thoughtful win love and trust?
23 Hard work always pays off;
mere talk puts no bread on the table.
24 The wise accumulate wisdom;
fools get stupider by the day.
25 Souls are saved by truthful witness
and betrayed by the spread of lies.
26 The Fear-of-God builds up confidence,
and makes a world safe for your children.
WISDOM: ABOVE ALL—GOD! “The Fear-of-God builds up confidence”—GOD-fidence! We trust God for wisdom, protection, provision, insight, understanding, knowing the right way to go, clarity and focus. There is no one like our God! Most of all, God saves us through Jesus Christ, His Son. That’s where our GOD-fidence comes from along with the power within us to help us overcome troubles and enemy attacks!
NEED MORE CONFIDENCE?
Here are just a few of over hundred or so verses in God’s Word about His confidence that flows through us…
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Proverbs 14:26 ESV
In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.
Romans 15:13 ESV
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Philippians 1:6 ESV
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
James 4:10 ESV
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
John 16:23 ESV
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
James 1:2 ESV
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
Romans 5:1 ESV
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:9 ESV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ephesians 5:8 ESV
For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
John 20:19-24 ESV
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” …
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. …
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
Psalm 118:8 ESV
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
Galatians 6:9 ESV
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Ephesians 2:10 ESV
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
1 John 5:13-14 ESV
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
NOW, DO WE HAVE GOD-FIDENCE?
Abba Father,
Thank you for all you are to us and all the confidence you place in us as your created followers and believers! Thank you for Your Holy Presence with us always. Thank you for saving our souls. Thank you for peace you give when we are hard pressed or confused. Thank for clarity when we are confused. Thank you for your relentless love, mercy and grace that saved us from ourselves. Yes, we want all the God-fidence you are willing to give. We need you every hour. Every hour we need you and your confidence living and abiding in us. Thank you, Lord for your consistent work in me.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 