Fearless Confidence

"Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

God is so good! I am reading through Hebrews right now and just digesting every bite, His word is all encompassing, it is new every morning, it is amazing!! In the midst of what is going on in my life, the Lord kindly led me to this passage this morning and in studying the original text, it's just so refreshingly challenging to me all the more that I must keep my thoughts captive to Christ. The writer of Hebrews has just finished an absolutely amazing description of what Christ really accomplished for His own. Hebrews is so rich, it was hard for me to just grab onto these two verses, but the Lord just showed me as I debate in my mind..what is possibly the next course in our lives, I am not to forsake my confidence, which means (in the Greek): free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness or assurance.

Here I am just concerned about the possibilities and the Lord is simply saying, "rest in my word child." I think the older I get and the more I learn about who I am, I just see I am such a planner, and it is huge for me to put something at the Lord's feet and leave it there, without mentally entertaining the possibilities of different plans. I have to continue to rest in the confidence the Lord has given me. IN the context of this passage ultimately the word is talking about our confidence in Christ and what He has done for us on the cross,and our eternal security as followers of Christ. So as I studied this passage and these particular verses I just felt the Lord overwhelming me with victory. It is my confidence (which He has given me) in Him that keeps me...and even though by "default" I am a planner, and want to know certainties, it is in the uncertainties that I have seen the most amazing display of God Himself in my life and in the lives of those around me.

Isn't just endearing how in all the endless possibilities of life God is there, CONSTANT. He tells us He is the same yesterday, today and yes forever! (Heb 13:8) He is unchangeable, and He IS LOVE! I am humbled by this, because I know me and I honestly would be so sick of me..so sick of teaching the same lessons over and over again, and yet continually in His word the Lord affirms what He teaches me and does so through different scriptures and just at the times I need it. I love how in James, His word promises that "He gives a greater grace. 'Therefore it is said, "God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:6-7 It's so simple, as I am a planner and love to hash out in my mind the possibilities of the future, I must simply humble myself before the Lord, resting in His hand and just wait on Him, refusing to give the devil a foothold into my mind. I remember a few years ago I read this, "The primary battlefield is the mind" by Beth Moore. I loved it then, and still do because that has given me so much freedom to put things into the proper biblical perspective. My battles are mostly in the mind, and God graciously promises that if I resist the devil he will flee from me. So I am learning about myself that my planning is responsible and beneficial to a point, and that point is where all the thoughts rolling around in my head turn to worry, and then distrust of the Lord...which is obvious sin, then I must repent and ask God to help me keep my thoughts captive....but I must humble myself before Him.

I have this fearles confidence in Christ, in the words of the Psalmist, "The LORD is for me; I wil not fear, what can man do to me?" Pslam 118:6 and "In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?: Psalm 56:11

So this gift, of fearless confidence we have in Christ, must be guarded because I need to be on my toes against my enemies, my flesh and the devil. I need not give these two a foothold. I must instead undergird my mind and my heart with the living and active (Heb 4:12) word of God. "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Col. 3:16

I just feel like the Lord is captivating and cultivating my heart so much lately and I am so grateful for His continued work in my life. I am so thankful He has not forsaken me and left me to myself...what a mess! Instead I can say "victory in Jesus, my Savior forever!" How sweet are the words of Praise to the One and Only, the "Lamb of God!"