Be Confident
Be Confident
What would you say is the opposite of confidence? Is it fear, shame, or perhaps insecurity? Webster’s Dictionary defines confidence as: “The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something: a firm trust.” Another simple definition to add to this is “the feeling of self-assurance.” So why is it that at one time or another we find ourselves lacking this wonderful thing? And how can we be assured of a more sustainable supply in our daily lives as well as our futures?
And while we’re at it, what about those who have been insulted, disrespected, maligned, misunderstood, or even slandered? How can they move forward in confidence, knowing that they have value and worth, and are precious to our Lord and Savior, Jesus? Well, the Prophet Jeremiah has a very definitive answer to this. In Jeremiah 17:5-8, he declares, “Cursed is the one who trusts in men…But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” It is plain from this biblical contrast that our true confidence comes from trusting in our great and mighty God. Is Jeremiah confident in this?
He is. In fact, the prophet further encourages by illustrating the benefits of trusting God. “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” It appears that trusting in God’s love, guidance, and care for us is the absolute key to confident living. What we lack, He promises to provide. How great is our God!
Let us Walk in His Way.
Dear Father, thank you for providing the way and means to attain confidence on this side of Heaven, as we choose to trust and seek Your approval for who we are and what we do, rather than gauging our worth through the lens of human judgment. May we embrace the certainty of the Apostle Paul, when he encouraged the believers in Philippi: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” May we cling to that promise and never lose the confidence that You provide for us through the wisdom and truth of Your Holy Word. Amen.
by Corinne “Kinney” deHamel
Author of “Walk in His Way” for
Carry the Light Ministries
