Not SELF Confidence
Not trusting MY own understanding
Not FLESHLY wisdom
Confidence in SELF = PRIDE
Confidence in God = humility
“humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may lift you up in due time”
1 Peter 5:6
No matter the circumstances. NO MATTER WHAT. The fear, the agony, the seeming “impossible”, the this is “too messed up”, the reacting in fear to try and make a situation better and stepping out of obedience to God, taking matters into our own completely incapable hands. NO MATTER WHAT, through Christ we can be “strong and courageous” (Deut. 31:6), and confidently trust in the powerful God of love who went to great effort to save, He will give grace to every Believer. Stand firm in what is right and pleasing in God’s sight and SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD. Moses said: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.” Ex. 14:13
I MUST fix my confidence solely on Him.
This is so opposite of how “I” think in my own mind. This is so opposite of the feelings that can consume me when panic sets in that I MUST act when it is not the time to act, fix, “rescue” (which really means making a greater mess and causing greater pain) but simply TRUST AND OBEY. Which often means, be still, pray, obey.
“in Christ Jesus our Lord, in Whom we have boldness, access, with CONFIDENCE through FAITH in HIM”, Eph. 3:12
“In HIM are hidden ALL the treasures of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE” Col. 2:3
What to do, or not to do? Pause, pray, and act according to HIS KNOWLEDGE AND TRUTH.
The scriptures in 2 Peter 1:2-4 mention, grace be multiplied to you in the KNOWLEDGE of GOD and of JESUS CHRIST our LORD. HIS divine power has givens to us ALL (not some, ALL) things that pertain to life and godliness. Through KNOWLEDGE of HIM. HE GIVES EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world..”
We are called to be partakers. Partakers with Christ. Partakers of Suffering. Partakers of His gift of comfort. Partakers in glory!!
TROUBLED. BURDENED BEYOND MEASURE. WITHOUT STRENGTH. SENTENCE OF DEATH IN OBVIOUS DEADLY CIRCUMSTANCES. This is what was faced in 2 Cor. 1:8-11 and it was faced confidently in the LORD JESUS Who died and rose again victorious!
“That we SHOULD NOT trust in OURSELVES, BUT IN GOD! – GOD WHO raises the dead. Who delivered us from so great a death and SHALL deliver us”
We get to boast in HIM! “we will boast in God as we share our testimony. The testimony that we did not rely on fleshly wisdom, but the GRACE of GOD.” 2 Cor. 1:12
Paul’s desire was to become as Christ-like as possible in Ephesians 3. His heart yearned to be compelled by DIVINE LOVE, to be dominated by the LORD and HIS WORD in OBEDIENCE AND FAITH, so much reliance that there would be nothing left of self!
HIS POWER. HIS LOVE. HIS MAJESTY. HIS MERCY. HIS GRACE. HIS VICTORY!
I noted in this study all the scriptures that pointed to GOD! To HIM! TO the LORD having ALL!
Lucifer operated in pride, he wanted it to be about him, and receive glory. The first sin entered this world because of selfish motives, prompted by the enticement “did God really say that?, and turning to own understanding, which is PRIDE.
How many times do we think we need to jump in and act in a way that really is not God’s will, just because we “think” and operate from our “emotions”. We even think our emotions are valid. Sure the Lord empathizes. He knows our pain and our heart’s desire. When we try to take matters into our own hands, and out of the will of GOD in obedience to Him, we are prideful, thinking in our own understanding and emotion and actually treating God as if He can’t handle this.
I confess, I have wrestled hugely with this in my life from time to time. I have seen the glory of God at work in my life. Even in times that I have called on the Lord in prayer asking him to give me the strength to resist acting in my own emotion and disobedience, His GRACE DOES EXCEEDINGLY ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT I COULD IMAGINE… FOR HIS GLORY!
I am humbled. Of course HE DOES! HE IS GOD ALMIGHTY!
I marvel at the glorious riches found in Christ Jesus the Lord.
I also, marvel at the powerful prayer and partnership of the saints to pray for me. “you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given to God…” 2 Cor. 1:11
The prayers offered from one saint to another, is a gift granted that extends onward as a gift to many! Beyond what we know!
TRUST IN THE LORD
Prov. 3:5-6
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family[a]in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Eph 3:14-20
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise to the God of All Comfort
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
2 Cor. 1:1-7
Partnering with suffering, builds Godly patience, endurance. This is a spiritual process to accept joining up with the trial in order to eventually share with others the Divine comfort God supplies in great measure.
By God’s grace and the Spirit’s power, WE SUFFER AND ARE COMFORTED. THEN WE COMFORT AND STRENGTHEN ANOTHER, ENABLING OTHERS TO PERSEVERE.
We saints, we cheer each other on!
Running this race with endurance looking forward to the glorious day we will together with CHRIST, live forever in HIS EXCEEDINGLY RICH LOVE.
SAY
NO TO SELF!
YES TO GOD!
HE DOES INCREDIBLY AWESOME THINGS!!!!
