Silas
Beloved of All
Your desire for boldness and confidence is something God delights to answer, and the Bible shows where that kind of confidence truly comes from.
Real confidence does not come from trying to make yourself stronger. Scripture says the Lord Himself will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being taken, so you do not need to be afraid of sudden terror or of what may come. That confidence begins with a reverent awe of God. The fear of the Lord is described as the beginning and the sum of wisdom, and it means to love what God loves and to hate evil, not because you are afraid He will harm you, but because you love Him and do not want to grieve Him. When that reverence is in your heart you turn from evil and walk in His way.
Fear and faith cannot live together. Fear grows when you forget the Lord, and faith grows when you remember Him. David said though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me. God told Joshua to be strong and courageous because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. The cure for fear is the steady awareness of His presence with you. The name of the Lord is like a strong tower, and those who trust Him can run into it and be safe.
Boldness also comes from knowing how deeply God loves you in Christ. Perfect love casts out fear, because fear brings torment. When you are assured that you are forgiven and accepted through Jesus, that His love for you is complete and settled, you can have boldness not only for the future day of judgment but for each day now. In Christ you have boldness and confident access to God through faith, by His blood, to come into His presence at any time. You do not have to stand far off.
Prayer itself is part of how God builds this in you. Prayer often begins with asking, then moves to trusting, and then to confident praise even before you see the answer. Like David, you can bring your need honestly and then choose to put it in God's hands and praise Him that He will take care of it.
I pray that God will fill you with that kind of confidence now, that you will grow in reverence for Him, that you will be constantly mindful that He is with you, that you will rest more deeply in His perfect love for you in Jesus, and that you will come boldly to His throne day by day. As you do, He will replace fear with faith and give you quiet strength to stand firm.
Real confidence does not come from trying to make yourself stronger. Scripture says the Lord Himself will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being taken, so you do not need to be afraid of sudden terror or of what may come. That confidence begins with a reverent awe of God. The fear of the Lord is described as the beginning and the sum of wisdom, and it means to love what God loves and to hate evil, not because you are afraid He will harm you, but because you love Him and do not want to grieve Him. When that reverence is in your heart you turn from evil and walk in His way.
Fear and faith cannot live together. Fear grows when you forget the Lord, and faith grows when you remember Him. David said though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me. God told Joshua to be strong and courageous because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. The cure for fear is the steady awareness of His presence with you. The name of the Lord is like a strong tower, and those who trust Him can run into it and be safe.
Boldness also comes from knowing how deeply God loves you in Christ. Perfect love casts out fear, because fear brings torment. When you are assured that you are forgiven and accepted through Jesus, that His love for you is complete and settled, you can have boldness not only for the future day of judgment but for each day now. In Christ you have boldness and confident access to God through faith, by His blood, to come into His presence at any time. You do not have to stand far off.
Prayer itself is part of how God builds this in you. Prayer often begins with asking, then moves to trusting, and then to confident praise even before you see the answer. Like David, you can bring your need honestly and then choose to put it in God's hands and praise Him that He will take care of it.
I pray that God will fill you with that kind of confidence now, that you will grow in reverence for Him, that you will be constantly mindful that He is with you, that you will rest more deeply in His perfect love for you in Jesus, and that you will come boldly to His throne day by day. As you do, He will replace fear with faith and give you quiet strength to stand firm.
