9 Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. Deuteronomy 7:9. NLT.
Our God is constantly amazing me. I am so awed by His character, His promises and His faithfulness that I can only sit quietly before Him. This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel says: Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:16. NLT. So I would ask us to examine our confidence level? How confident are you in the Lord? I am not just talking about head confidence, but heart confidence. Where you actually expect Him to answer your prayer!
We are exhorted in Hebrews 4:16 to come boldly to the throne of grace in our time of need. Can you just picture it? A bold soldier striding into the War Room, telling the commander-in-chief, we need help. This soldier has utmost confidence that the commander-in-chief has the needed supplies and weaponry to defeat the enemy. They trust their commander-in-chief to deploy whatever strategy is necessary to win the current battle. With no hesitation, he makes his plea. He then waits, trusting his commander-in-chief to answer. This is how our God wants us to enter His throne room. NO fear of interrupting or bothering the commander in chief, just confidence that He is able and willing to supply every need.
My friends, one characteristic of mature faith is confidence. Often people don’t pray because they don’t really have the faith to believe God is going to answer that prayer. James 4:2 tells us “you have not because you ask not”. If you do not expect Him to answer, why bother asking? When my children were younger, we did not have a lot of extra funds. My oldest was an astute young lady. She really didn’t ask for much or often. I think she just assumed we couldn’t afford it. As a parent, my heart hurt when I found out (when she was an adult!) that she wanted to take ballet lessons! We will never know if she would have gotten to have them or not, because she didn’t ask. I know people who have not asked for healing because they don’t want to bother the Lord. My friends, you are doing Him such a disservice!
Oh my friends, difficulties, trials and challenges arrive in everyone’s life. The blessing we have is that we don’t have to face them alone. Deuteronomy 7:7-9 is an amazing reminder of God’s motives and character. Moses gave this discourse of remembrance to the Israelite’s, to help them as they entered the Promised Land. The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping an oath he had sworn to your ancestors. His love and care for them was not based on what they were or could or could not do. It was based on His promise to love them and care for them. It is the same with us. We have been adopted into His family, as our Father, He cares for us. Does that give you confidence? Or do you struggle with understanding His Fatherhood? My friends, please ask Him to reveal to you what it truly means to have Him as your Father. Take the time to understand this. Don’t live beneath your privilege as His child.
If you are insecure about your relationship with Him, it shows you don’t know Him well enough as yet. Read one of the gospels. Watch how Jesus interrelates to his disciples and talks to His Dad. Read the letters from Paul and see how Paul prays and talks to the Father. We can pray those same types of prayers for ourselves and others!
When we boldly enter God’s throne room, we must do so with faith, but also respect. He is, after all, Lord of All. The respect and trust we give Him means we trust His answer. The answers may be a quick yes or a definite no. Sometimes, like natural parents, the answer might be to wait and see. In all cases, we need to trust Him. Don’t give up, keep on asking, seeking and as He promises you will find. Often, during the waiting times, if our eyes are open we can learn so much about Him and ourselves. Our desires may change. The initial toddler-like demands for a yes transform into a wiser acknowledgment. We realize, ‘I don’t really need that, thank you for the no.’
Confidence is really an inner trust and faith in Him and His ways that is born out of knowing Him. Knowing Him takes time and requires intention. The more we do it, the more confident in Him we become. That is always a good thing.
Father, I thank you for helping us grow in our confidence in You and Your ways. Show us areas were we rely too much on our own ways, and not your ways. Teach us to return to you and rest in Your ways, learning from You about You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Faith Encounters 