Confidence Based on the Word of God - A Series on Confidence, Part 14
Those of you who have followed my writing for any amount of time know how much I enjoy the legends of Camelot. Valiant knights on faithful steeds. Damsels in distress. Enemies to be vanquished and dragons to be slain. Excitement. Adventure. Romance. These legends have it all!
One of the things I love and hate most about the legends is that no two accounts are the same. The characters vary. The relationships change. The hows and whys are different. Yes, each account weaves its tale based on hearsay passed down through the generations. While these various stories offer excitement and intrigue, they do little to establish the truth. Was there a Camelot? Did King Arthur exist? If so, which (if any) of the tales are true?
The fact is, we simply can't believe everything we hear or see. Pick up the newspaper--or better yet, the tabloids--and you'll see man's attempts to twist (and sometimes even invent) newsworthy stories. They can't be believed. Sure, some of the stories may be true, but when only a small percentage are accurate and the rest are lies or conjecture, how are we supposed to be confident in any of it? What's the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
“ Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.”
Fortunately, when it comes to the Word of God, we can put away the question marks. There's no need to comb through it, trying to distinguish truth from lies. Every word is true. Every fact is fact. Every prophecy has or will come to pass. And every promise can be claimed. While we may not understand everything in the Scriptures, we can be assured that it contains the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
No other book has stood the test of time. No other collection of prophecies has proved more accurate. No other volume claims God (Truth itself) as the author. Within its pages, we can see our past, present, and future. We find comfort, encouragement, inspiration, and direction. It is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. It offers help in the time of need, guidance in times of crisis and hope in the midst of heartache. And on it, we can stand firm, secure in its truth.
One of the most important things I learned about being a teacher is the same lesson I tried to pass on to others who followed in my wake. A confident teacher doesn't need to have all the answers, but she must be able to know where to find the answers. The same holds for a confident believer. We don't need to have all the answers, but we should know where to find them and how to direct others to the answers. Let's turn to our Bibles more often than we call on Google, Siri or Alexa. It has more to offer and is relevant for today. And because of its truth, we can be confident.
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
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