Did you know that confidence and determination are two qualities that God wants His people to possess?
Confidence is defined as faith, trust, assurance (which is
He wants us have confidence that we can trust Him and His Word, and He wants us to stand in determination to walk in His ways, therefore receiving the abundant life that He has given us through Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10:35-36 tells us to Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise (KJV). In the Amplified Bible verse 36, says, For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away (and enjoy to the full) what is promised.
What does it mean to have steadfast patience? Steadfast means firmly fixed in place; determination, and to be patient means to be steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity. To be patient does not mean that we are to just accept everything that comes against us in a passive way, with no resistance.
Our confidence that we are to hold to, not casting away, must be in God – in His Word. To receive from God, we must have faith in Him; we must trust Him, we must have confidence that He is Whom He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do. We must know that He is a faithful God.
How do we acquire confidence in another person? By getting to know that one, through time spent together, through observance of that one’s words and actions. Do their words and actions correspond? It’s the same with God. We gain confidence in Him by knowing Him, through His Word and through intimate time spent with Him. We must first know what His Word says in order to have something to believe and to be confident in. Then we must be determined to live according to His Word, and to see His promises fulfilled in our life, in spite of opposition, difficulty, or adversity that comes our way.
Now, we must have our heart right toward God and be obedient to Him and His Word in order to truly be confident that we will receive what God promised. I John 3:21–23 says, Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God, and whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment…I John 5:14 , And this is the confidence that we have in Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us; 15 – And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.
If we are living in the Word, walking in love, our petitions to God will be in line with His will, and we need to stand with confidence that He will do what He has promised, and we must be very determined to receive those promises, not being moved from our stand – never allowing the enemy to steal our blessings from God.
We must make the decision that we will not
God will never fail. His Word will never fail. And if we are living in His will – in obedience to Him, we can stand determined to, and confident that we will, receive what He has promised. He will do what He has said He will do. We just need to do what He says to do in order to receive.
Let’s look at a few examples in God’s Word, of some who were very confident in His faithfulness, and were determined to stand against all opposition and pressure that came against them, knowing that His faithfulness would be shown – that they would receive what they believed Him for.
In 2 Kings 4:8-37, we read about a woman whose son died. Her son was a special gift from God. When she had no children, Elisha, a man of God, would travel through her neighborhood, and she and her husband would provide him with food and a place to stay when he was there. In return for her hospitality, Elisha had asked what could be done for her, and since she had no children, Elisha told her she would have a son, which she did at the time he said. The son grew and did well, but then one day he died. The woman immediately made arrangements to get to Elisha, believing that God would use him to restore her son to her. When she arrived where Elisha was dwelling, she told him the situation, and he was going to send his servant to pray for the child, but she knew in her heart that Elisha was the one that God would use to restore her son back to life, and she was determined that he would go. She would not settle for anyone else, so he went with her, he prayed over her son, and the Lord raised him up. Her confidence in God that He would restore life to her son, and her determination to do what was necessary in order to receive that blessing, brought about the manifestation of God’s power, allowing her to receive and enjoy to the full what God had for her.
Three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to bow down and worship a golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had commanded everyone to worship, because they obeyed God, to worship Him only. They did so even in the face of a threat of being thrown into a fire and burned to death. They were determined to stand true to God, confident He would protect them, and deliver them (BUT IF NOT!). They were bound and thrown into the fire, but God brought them out unharmed, with not even a hair singed (Daniel 3).
In Daniel 6, we read how a decree was made and signed that no one was to pray to anyone except the king, and that whomever would be caught praying to anyone else, would be cast into a den of lions. The decree was made to try to trap Daniel, because he openly prayed to God. But Daniel was determined that he would not pray to any other, and he would do it with the same boldness he had been doing. He continued to open his windows and pray as usual. He had confidence that God would deliver him, regardless of what was done to him. Of course, he was thrown into the den with the lions, but God sent angels to shut the lions’ mouths, and Daniel was unharmed (Daniel 6).
We read of another man’s confidence and determination in Mark 10:47-52. Here we are told of a blind man, who was in a crowd when Jesus came on the scene. When he heard it was Jesus, he began to cry out, asking Jesus to have mercy on him. Many around him tried to get him to be quiet, but he cried even louder. He knew if Jesus would hear him, He would respond. He had already heard of the miracles Jesus did. So no one (including religious people) was going to keep him from getting his miracle. He had his confidence in Jesus, and he was determined to get what he knew Jesus wanted him to have. Verse 49 says Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. Jesus asked what he wanted, the man told him, and Jesus told him that his faith had made him whole, to receive his sight, and he did. Had he have listened to those around him and have given up, he would not have received the blessing. But his confidence and determination brought it to him.
Let’s rise up in faith in God – in His Word – and be confident that He will do what He has promised if we will believe and doubt not, and then let’s be determined to receive his promises, regardless of what it takes, so we can receive, carry away, and enjoy to the full what is promised.
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