“And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.”

— Ezekiel 28:26

The passage here in Ezekiel is speaking about the Israelites and of judgment against those who come against them.  However, we can make application to the Christian as well.  According to the above verse, we can dwell in confidence because God is for us.  He is on our side, so we need not live in fear of the enemy.  We can dwell in safety, build houses and plant vineyards.  In other words, we can go about our daily business, living life to the fullest because of our confidence in God.

What would a life of confidence look like?  I envision Christians standing firm in their faith against all persecution.  I see Christians facing trials with a smile on their face and praises on their lips.  I imagine packed-out church services and happier workplaces.  Anxiety-related illnesses would be foreign to Christians, and we would live healthier, more joyful lives.  This is what it means to live in confidence.

It's like viewing the world and all of its problems from the safety of our refuge.  Yes, the storms are raging and the winds are howling, but in our place of safety, they cannot harm us.  I'm reminded of something I once read about eagles.  Evidently, they are often attacked by crows, especially when in flight.  The crows leave their perches among the trees and peck at the eagle's wings.  I don't know if there is a reason for this attack, or if crows are just mean and petty.  Either way, their constant attacks are detrimental to the eagle and could cause serious damage and even death.

So, the mighty eagle, in its wisdom, soars to greater heights--heights the crows cannot reach.  It rises above the problem, soaring to its refuge in the heavens.  From there, it can still see the crows, but it is out of the harmful reach of their antegonizers.  Safe and secure in that knowledge, the eagle flies confidently through the sky, spreading its majestic wings in honor of the One who taught him to soar above the problems and to find refuge in the One who created him and cares for him.

We can learn much from the eagle.  When the demands of life peck away at us, we need to soar above them and seek refuge in God's faithful care and precious promises.  Only there can we dwell in confidence, knowing we are beyond the reach of any harm.  How different life would look from that point of view!  And how different we would be in we learned to live a life of confidence.