Topic: Confidence in God [Joyce Meyer Devotional 13 July 2021]
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…Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.— Matthew 28:20 (NIV)
As God heals our soul, one thing we notice is that we become stronger and more confident. With every step of healing He leads us through, we see that He is faithful and trustworthy, and this increases our confidence in Him. Life is much easier and more enjoyable when we are confident than it is when we feel hesitant or unsure. When we are confident, we believe and feel certain we can do something, and that belief empowers us to live with courage, joy, and hopeful expectation. A confident person can look in the mirror each day and say, “You and God together can do anything you need to do today.”
The most important thing about confidence is to know where it comes from. Some people can develop an attitude of confidence in themselves, thinking, I can do this! and I’ve got what it takes! But as believers in Jesus, our confidence comes from Him. Anyone can feel confident in certain areas, but we can be confident in all areas of life as we find our confidence in God. He gives us not only confidence in what we can do, but also in who we are. Our ability to be confident comes from the fact that He loves us, He fights our battles for us, He is always leading us to victory, and we belong to Him.
If we put our confidence in ourselves, we will eventually be disappointed. Writing to fellow believers, the apostle Paul declared that we “glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3 ESV). When we trust in God with confidence, we no longer struggle with stress, worry, or fear of what will happen if we don’t do everything right.
The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah understood, as Paul did, that we cannot place our confidence in ourselves. He wrote, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh . . . But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him” (Jer. 17:5, 7 NIV).
An important point I like to make is that in Christ we can be confident even when we do not feel confident. We cannot trust our feelings because they can change at a moment’s notice and without warning. Instead, we can put our confidence in Christ.
God’s Word is full of powerful truths we can trust and depend on, truths that will build a firm foundation of confidence in God for our lives. People may cause you to change the way you feel about yourself, especially if they do or say something that undermines your confidence or makes you wonder if you are weak. But no one can change the truth of what God says about you or who He is in your life. So put your confidence in Him!
Prayer Starter: Father, Your Word is full of truth, and I know I can always trust in You. Help me as I build my confidence and put all of my trust in You! In Jesus’ name, amen.