CONFIDENCE
24th Nov 2021
With so much uncertainty around it is very possible to let our faith slip and find ourselves losing confidence in seeing answers to our prayers. I have been singing an old song that is in the first Scripture in Song book, the words come straight from 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us and if we know that He hears us, we know that we have the petition that we desired of Him.”
When we find ourselves in an impossible situation we have a choice, to keep our place of faith or to let fear and uncertainty dominate. Some years ago; it was the night before I was to go on a ministry trip to Sweden and I discovered a lump in my testicles. What should I do? I decided not to say anything to Joyce! But as I prayed I clearly heard a voice from the Lord, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” I went to Sweden, and have survived, and will say more about this in the video.
Hebrews 10:35 says, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” It goes on the say, “But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”
The great challenge is to maintain our place of faith despite all that is going on around us. Many of us are facing health challenges and economic uncertainties. I had another situation some years ago when I had spoken at a conference in Austria which had cost the organisers a lot of money, and I returned home with a love gift that would not buy the week’s groceries! Had God failed us? I chose to rejoice and keep my place of confidence and faith. A few weeks later I was unexpectedly asked at speak at a Sunday Worship service. At the end, to my surprise the pastor asked folk to make a special love offering, and I returned home with £1500. I will say more on the video.
I love the scripture in 1 John 3:21, “If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.”
Do not throw away your confidence.
by Charles Sibthorpe
