Confidence In God

by D.J. Webster, Liverpool, U.K. | Category: General | Feb 1983

Promises

Although God is under no obligation to make promises to us, He not only does, but He is absolutely faithful in keeping His word. Joshua, having experienced a lifetime of fulfilled promises, confidently asserted, "You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed.1 Paul spelled out one of these promises when he wrote to the Romans "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."2

This is a really great promise to hold throughout life. We believe it readily enough when we meet it in devotional reading or when it is being discussed at a Bible Study; it is often so obviously true in retrospect, and a comforting answer to the problems of others. Yet I wonder if we fully appreciate the significance of such a great promise in our daily living with all the stresses and problems that life can bring.

Beliefs Tested

When life does not go smoothly it will become evident whether we believe the promise or not. A Christian may be going through a time of trouble experiencing difficulties and problems which seem to be mounting up before him. But with a quiet confidence in his God he is able to ask with Paul, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"3and he can answer with the same assurance, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."4 We should be ashamed when the small upsets of life which affect us all from time to time make us bitter and cause us even for a moment to lose faith in the promises of God.

All Things

Our faith is in an all-wise and all-loving heavenly Father who, though he may chastize and reprove, nevertheless remains faithful and caring. Read Matthew 6:25-34 for a detailed catalogue of basic provision which our God supplies. It is not wishful thinking or self-delusion to continue to trust God through difficulties, for our trust stems not from ourselves or from circumstances, but from a knowledge of our unchanging God. It is a great antidote to the panic that might threaten to engulf us to realize that whether we can see the reason or not, in all things God is working for our good if we love him. That fact enables us to leave our disappointments as well as our successes, our griefs as well as our joys, and our frustrations as well as our peace in His loving hands.

Why are you downcast, 0 my soul? Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God.5

Victory Over Doubts

If we love God we can discard our doubts and rest assured that in His purposes each experience of life is for our good. There is no need for us to fall, crushed beneath the trials of life, for "God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."6

Christians are in a very happy position. Certainly we share in the common cares of humanity, but we also share in the love of a great God "Who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."7 Let us rejoice together in the promises of God confident that He is trustworthy. Let us learn to trust God with our small problems so that when the storms of life hit us we will automatically look to Him for protection, help and victory, for "The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good things."8

1 Joshua 23:14

2 Romans 8:28

3 Romans 8:35

4 Romans 8:37

5 Psalm 42:11

6 Corinthians 10:13

7 Timothy 6:17

8 Psalm 34:10

All scriptures quoted from NIV.

D.J. Webster, Liverpool, U.K. | Feb 1983
General