One of the qualities that God wants to build into our character is confidence. To be a good salesperson, one must believe in her own product. In the same way, if we have confidence that the gospel message is really important, we will present it more frequently and with greater boldness. If we believe that the gospel can truly change someone’s life, we will express it with greater passion. If we are confident that God gives us all that we need to accomplish His good works (Ephesians 2:10), we will be willing to step into more opportunities to minister to others. If we are confident that God will be with us at all times, then we will have greater courage to persevere in all situations. Confidence is an important quality for a believer for it enables us to live a fruitful life.
There are some crucial things for us to have confidence in so that we can live an abundant life.
The most important thing is to have confidence in God. “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him” (Jeremiah 17:7). As you read the Word each day, focus on the character of God. He is faithful. His love is unfailing. He never changes. All of His promises are true and will come to pass. He is always present and sovereign over all things. Jeremiah goes on to say that if we place our confidence in the Lord, we will “be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8).
I have been living in another country for many years. I just recently returned to America. It is amazing how fearful people are of an economic crash. Everywhere I go people are talking about how the country is falling apart. In other countries, many live in fear as well. Perhaps this is the end times and then we know that things will get progressively worse. However, the Scripture says that as believers, we do not need to live in fear. Even in the midst of drought or other catastrophes, the Lord is still our Shepherd. He wants us to put our trust in Him to continue to be our Strength, Provider, Protector, Father, and Savior. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (Psalm 46:1-2).
Excerpt from: More Beautiful By The Day