Confidence

Sometimes when I am reading the word of God, a word will stand out to me.  I usually first look up that word in the dictionary then find the word in the Old Testament and look up its Hebrew meaning.

Then I will look up that word in the New Testament and find its Greek meaning.

One such word was the word, confidence.  It almost sounds like it would have the same meaning as faith.  Faith is defined in the Bible in Heb. 11: 1.  Faith is the substance of things HOPED FOR; the evidence of things NOT SEEN.

Faith, to me, speaks of a firm belief in something that we are hoping for and something that is not yet seen, but we know will eventually come to pass in our lives.  

The dictionary defines confidence as trust, reliance and assurance.

One Old Testament scripture in Proverbs 3: 26 says, the Lord shall be thy confidence.  The Hebrew meaning for confidence here means fatness.  What a weird meaning.  You have to understand when the Bible uses that word fatness, it speaks of provision, security, protection and prosperity.

To be fat back in those Old Testament times meant you were doing very well.

When we have confidence in the Lord it means we are absolutely sure that God will always be our provider, protector and source of wealth.

In the New Testament we read the scripture found in I John 3: 21 which says, “…then we have confidence toward God.”

The Greek definition of the word confidence is very interesting.  It means all out spokenness, frankness, bluntness and publicity.

When God is your confidence or you have placed your confidence in the Lord, you are so sure of the fact that God is your source of protection and provision that you are outspoken and very blunt about your faith in that fact.

You share your source of confidence with others, publicly.

You may call that witnessing.  I call it boasting in the Lord.  

True believers in their salvation in Jesus Christ understand the full meaning of salvation.  It means eternal life with God; it means provision, protection and healing.

Who wouldn’t let a hopeless world know about this good news?

Put all your confidence in the Lord and let that confidence in you, cause you to be outspoken, frank and blunt about your faith in Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savior.
 
- Pastor Jim

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