“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 NIV
The definition for confidence, according to Webster’s Dictionary of 1828, is a trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact. It is this kind of confidence I pray you have in God. A trusting reliance that you can go to Him with whatever you are dealing with in your life, and He will do something about it.
The very center verse in the Bible is Psalm 118:8 which says, “It is better to trust in the Lord, than put confidence in man.” It’s interesting that this is what is at the heart of God’s word to us. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Often times, we place our confidence in people and they disappoint us. That is because they, like us are human. They aren’t perfect, they will never be perfect, and no matter how much they try, they will fall short. But God never will. In Him you can have full confidence.
This does not, however mean He will give you everything you want. He’s not a vending machine in the sky just waiting to dispense whatever you perceive your need is. I have a young friend who has been battling a rare disease for the past five years. I have partnered with her parents in prayer, yet there seems to be no answers. As recently as yesterday, I held her hand as she lay in the hospital bed, unable to eat or drink and asked the Lord for a miracle. We’re still waiting on the answer. But it doesn’t mean God isn’t working, we know without a doubt He is. We just don’t know what He is doing. The truth is, we may never know on this side of eternity.
Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who endured the trials of the Holocaust camps in World War II, a place where she lost her sister and father, once said this:
“You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.”
I have learned this truth in my life, in ways I never wanted too. I’m still learning it as I continue on this journey. The heartbreak and sadness of this world, tragedies that are unspeakable, cause us to fall to our knees. But when we’re down at rock bottom, lying flat on our back, it forces us to look up. When we do, when we look up to the Creator who made us, we can find confidence that He is there. We can find confidence that He is all we truly need.
