Confident in Who God Is - A Series on Confidence, Part 3
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. ”
One of the biggest reasons we can be confident in this life is because we know and understand who God is. Not long ago, we took a journey through the book of Psalms and highlighted all of the names of God within. This study helped us understand God's nature and character, as well as the role He plays in our lives. (In case you missed this study, you can find the series by going to the "Daily Devotion" page on my website and, within the sidebar, click on the topic "Names of God." You can also use the archive within the sidebar to find specific devotions.)
In today's passage, we see how God's character plays a vital role in our confidence. Notice what the psalmist says as he discusses his fearful situation. "Though hard times and enemies come upon me, I will be confident in this." What is this? On what is the psalmist basing his confidence? On the fact that the Lord is his light, salvation, and the very strength of his life. With God as his light, he need never fear darkness. With God as His salvation, he could rest assured that nothing could overtake Him without first going through the Lord's hands. With God as his strength, he could be confident that he could and would overcome anything he faced because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
It's important to realize that the psalmist isn't just saying words; he's speaking with conviction. He's not reciting a mantra or even an affirmation; he's speaking the heartfelt truth. He is claiming the Lord as his light, salvation, and strength. No doubts. No questions. Why? Because God had proven His character, and the psalmist knew that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. So, if He could be counted on in the past, He could still be depended on in the present.
We can have that same confidence. No, we don't know what tomorrow holds, but praise God, we know who holds tomorrow. And the more we know God, the more we can trust Him with every aspect of our lives. Looking for more confidence? Look no further than the nature and character of God.
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