God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 5: Be Confident in God (Part 2)
Do you feel blindsided by a loss, an overwhelming challenge, or sudden affliction — and it’s causing you to feel afraid?
In part one of this lesson, I shared how God equipped me through Psalm 27 for a season of fear and dread. In the process, He caused me to know Him more intimately and gave me one-thing desire. As a result, I could be confident in Him.
Psalm 27 is a passage we can learn a lot from when it comes to facing fearful situations. Why?
Because David is the psalmist who is speaking in Psalm 27. David’s victories in battle, including the one against Goliath, indicate he clearly knew the secret to possessing courage in life’s petrifying places.
Psalm 27 shows us there are two steps to being confident in fearful seasons:
1. Desire One Thing—God’s presence. Get to know Him, which includes internalizing His word.
2. Trust what you know to be true of God, regardless of how you feel.
Getting to Know God Through His Word
Part of step one—developing one-thing desire—is getting to know God through His Word.
Jesus is called the Word in the Bible.
“In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning the Word was with God…. The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. ” (John 1:1-2, 14, CEV)
If I want you to know my thoughts, I must communicate them to you somehow. I can’t stare at you blankly—or post a blank page here for this blog post—and expect you to know what I’m thinking. I have to either talk or write and use words.
As our words manifest to others our invisible thoughts, so Jesus, the Word of God, manifests to us the invisible Deity and God-head.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15, ESV).
Jesus, the Living Word, shows us who God is. The written word, the Bible, also reveals to us who God is—His character, His ways, His truth.
If you want to know God intimately, you must get to know His Word—the Living Word, Jesus, and the written word, the Bible.
Reading the Bible may sound like a boring experience. But if you’re a believer, the same Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the Scriptures lives inside of you! As you read the word, He will guide you. He will make the words jump off the page and speak to your present situation—and even future situations you will encounter! (See Isaiah 46:10-11.) He will reveal God to you through the pages and give you understanding. It’s anything but boring!
When you read something written thousands of years ago, and God speaks the words to your heart as if He just wrote it today for your need—it rocks your world!! And then when He fulfills that word in your life, it’s AMAZING!
Getting to know God through His word is part of glorious cycle—the more we get to know God through His Word, the more we desire Him and His words (“one-thing” desire), which leads us back to the word and knowing God even more, which creates even more desire…. It’s not a vicious cycle; it’s a victorious cycle!
When we get to know God through His Word, it stimulates and feeds one-thing desire. But how does that help us have courage and peace in times of trouble? Here’s how:
The Value of Knowing the Word in Times of Trouble
Psalm 27 says that no matter what we’re facing, we don’t have to be afraid.
“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? … Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident” (Psalm 27:1,3).
“How?” you may ask yourself, “How can I be confident and fearless in the midst of life’s petrifying places? The answer is:
Because…
“One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord… “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:4-5).
As the passage continued, did you see the answer to the question?
You can be confident in God in fearful places because you have desired one thing—to dwell in His presence, beholding Him, getting to know Him. As a result of your desire, you’ve been in His presence and His word, and you’ve come to know Him more fully.
Because you know Him, you know that in your day of trouble, He will hide you. He will protect you. He will set you high on the Rock, far out of the enemy’s reach. There is no reason to be afraid!
So if we’re taking our cue from David in Psalm 27, it seems that being courageous comes from:
- Having One-Thing Desire—hungering for God’s presence and getting to know Him through His word. Then, when you know God, you can…
- Trust (be confident in) what you know to be true of God, regardless of what you face or how you feel.
Choosing Trust
After you’ve fulfilled step one (you’ve spent time with God and consequently, hidden His word in your heart)—you know that He loves you infinitely. You know that He will protect you and cause your enemies to stumble and fall (Psalm 27:2). You know that in all circumstances, He sets you on the Rock. You know that He’s faithful and good and that you can trust Him—more than anyone or anything else on earth!
You may still have feelings of fear and concern, but choose to trust in what you know of God, in spite of what you feel. Be confident in His character and His promises. As you keep your mind on Him, He will remove fear and dread. He will give you His peace. (John 14:27)
You can’t necessarily get rid of fear by yourself. If you try, you may end up focusing on your fear, which only engenders more fear. Leave the fear removal to God. It’s His perfect love that casts out fear. He is the one with the power to keep us in perfect peace.
Your responsibility isn’t one of removing fear (e.g. telling yourself, “Don’t fear; don’t fear … don’t fear,” which can cause you to focus on your fear and your problems).
Your responsibility is the positive one of choosing trust and confidence in God (e.g. telling God, “I trust you, God. You are my Rock and my Salvation. You will take care of me.”). Focus on God. He’ll take care of the rest, including filling you with His courage and peace.
Equipped in Advance
As the previous post demonstrated, when we get to know God through His word, He will:
- Speak to us intimately (which instills peace and confidence in Him)
- Show us who He is (any glimpse of God eclipses our fearful circumstances)
- Give us experiences of Himself that cause us to want more, leading to one-thing desire (which leads to knowing more of His word, which leads to more confidence, trust, and peace)
- Show us the flip-side of the coin when it comes to our suffering and uncertainties (which gives us a glimpse into God’s heart and His loving reasons for allowing our problems, which also instills peace, trust, and confidence in God)
He will also:
- Equip us in advance for our challenges and uncertainties. This not only reminds us there is no need to be afraid, it gives us vital scripture to pray, and claim, and expect God to fulfill.
When God first spoke to me through Psalm 27, I had not yet experienced the awful mental torture from Lyme encephalopathy. So imagine my awe when, years later in the midst of terrible mental torture, I realized God had already equipped me through His word for that threat.
According to Psalm 27:6, the source of horrible agony that I feared—my head—was lifted above my enemies all around me. I could offer sacrifices of joy and sing praises to the Lord!
6And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. (Psalm 27:6, NKJ)
I was thrilled with the application of this scripture to my circumstance. The fact that it addressed my perspective of the situation was more than enough. But God had packed even more application in this passage. You see, I did not realize at the time how unlikely it seemed to others (including medical professionals and some of the nation’s leading Lyme experts) that my mental state and cognitive abilities would ever improve. I didn’t know that many people, including physicians, were advising my family to put me in an institution and get on with their lives. It seemed just that hopeless to them.
But God had lifted my head high above my enemies all around me! (vs. 6)
You may not have seen your present challenge coming ahead of time, but God did… and He has equipped you for it through His word—the Living Word, Jesus Christ, and the written word, the Bible.
Your challenges and obstacles may seem utterly hopeless… but with God all things are possible! Nothing is ever hopeless with Him!
In Summary: Fearless in the Face of Harm
How is it that you can be courageous and confident when facing the assailing armies of suffering and uncertainty? How can you possibly remain calm when it seems the next blow will be the one that totally obliterates you?
You can be courageous and fearless because your confidence is in God—not in your own abilities or strategies.
He is your light and salvation, the strength of your life. He will shelter you in the tabernacle of His presence and set you high on a Rock—far out of the enemy’s reach.
As the enemy breathes threats and whispers ultimatums, you don’t have to listen to his lies.
It doesn’t matter what comes against you—what threat or uncertainty encamps around you—your heart does not have to fear! Jesus is your light and your salvation! He is the strength of your life—your rock, your defense, and your impenetrable fortress.
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Tweetables
- As our words reveal our invisible thoughts, Jesus, the Word of God, manifests the invisible Deity and God-head. (John 1:1-2,14. Col. 1:15) Jesus, the Living Word, and the Bible, the written word, show us God’s character, ways, and truth.
- Need courage in a petrifying place? David shows us the steps in Psalm 27. 1) Have one-thing desire—hunger for God’s presence and get to know Him through His word. 2) Trust what you know to be true of God, regardless of what you see or feel.
- You don’t have to fear when facing the assailing armies of suffering and uncertainty. You can be confident in God. Why? He will shelter you in the tabernacle of His presence and set you high on a Rock—far out of the enemy’s reach.
- If you want to know God intimately, get to know His Word—the Living Word, Jesus, and the written word, the Bible.
- You may not have seen your present challenge coming ahead of time, but God did. And He has equipped you for it through His word—the Living Word, Jesus Christ, and the written word, the Bible.
- God is faithful and good. You can trust Him—more than anyone or anything else on earth!
- Your challenges and obstacles may seem hopeless but with God ALL things are possible! Nothing is ever hopeless with Him!
- Do you need courage and confidence as you face the assailing armies of suffering and uncertainty? Get it from Psalm 27.
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Questions:
- Do you feel blindsided by a loss, an overwhelming challenge, or sudden affliction? Do you fear or dread something as a result?
- Do frightening uncertainties surround you on all sides?
- How are you getting to know God more each day through His word? Do you have a reading plan, or are you in a Bible study?
- What scriptures has God spoken to you? Are you memorizing them? It’s vital that you do!
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
- God Still Clothes the Lilies: 10 Lessons for Seasons of Uncertainty (Part 1)
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 1: Rest in God’s Sovereign Rule
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 2: View Your Needs from Heaven’s Higher Perspective
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 3: Hope in God Alone
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 4: Trust in God and His Deliverance
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 5: Be Confident in God (Part 1)
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 6: Wait Expectantly for God
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 7: Receive God’s Enabling
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 8: Focus on God, Not Your Problems
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 9 (Part 1): Give Thanks & Praise, Even in This
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 9 (Part 2): Three Results of Your Worship
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Lesson 10: Reflect on God’s Past Goodness
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Bonus Lesson: Tell God How You Feel (Part 1)
- God Still Clothes the Lilies, Bonus Lesson: Tell God How You Feel (Part 2)
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