THE LORD IS MY CONFIDENCE

‘Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken’ (Proverbs 3:25 – 26).

In the face of challenges, what is your response? Are you confident? These days are marked by news of terror and evil occurrences. Men and women now walk in fear of the unknown. The days are truly perilous! However, there has never been any time in the history of the world that there has been peace. Right from the beginning when God cursed Adam, man has experienced pain, troubles, and difficulties. My grandfather witnessed the evils and atrocities of the First and Second World Wars. I also experienced part of the Nigerian Civil War as a young child growing up in the Eastern part of the country. I can tell you that we have never seen anything close to those dark days in the history of our nation. Considering these, you will realize that there has never been any time in history that has been devoid of evil.

In the above passage (Prov. 3:25–26), the Bible made us to realize that the Lord is our confidence. Our confidence does not rest in our leaders, government, economic policies or political manifestoes; it is in the Lord. For the Lord to be your confidence, as you go through these times, you must:

Constantly affirm that the Lord shall be your confidence. Everywhere you go, constantly affirm this. The Bible says, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble” (Nahum 1:7). In Thessalonians 3:2-3, the Bible says, “And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” Everywhere and in every situation, you must boldly and constantly affirm that the Lord is your confidence.

Commit your way unto the Lord. Job gave a confident response to the troubles of his days by saying, “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause” (Job 5: 7 – 8). Psalm 57: 5–6 says, “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” You must realize that being anxious or trying to create a negative picture of your situation will not help you.

To overcome the evil one, you must constantly affirm the Biblical promises regarding you. ‘The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever’ (Psalm 121: 7 – 8). ‘A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you’ (Psalm 91:7). ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want’ (Psalm 23:1). There is no substitute to ‘praying without ceasing.’ It is not a suggestion, it is a command. In everything you do and in every step you take, keep praying. Commit your ways to the Lord and your thoughts will be established.

Walk circumspectly. In Ephesians 5:15 – 16, the Bible says, ‘See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ecclesiastes 3: 5 says that there is “… a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing”. You must understand that in these days, you must walk circumspectly as wise, not as fools. Evil days necessitate different strategies. Therefore, you cannot afford to be careless. You cannot afford to associate with just anyone, visit certain places, talk or walk anyhow. ‘Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil’ (Amos 5: 13). These are the times you keep silent; it is not the time to judge people. The Bible says, “But if he chooses to remain quiet, who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation” (Job 34:29). The Lord told me to instruct his people to ‘keep a sealed lip.’ Except in situations where your opinion is important, please, learn to keep silent. This is the time to know when, how and where to talk.

In times like this, keep your conscience devoid of offence in the sight of God and man. Our society is filled with a lot of filthiness; the church, not excluded. Sin kills people! I have seen many people die because of sinful habits and behaviour. We should run away from every corrupting influence. You don’t need to hang around men in order to ‘enjoy’ the material things of this world. You need to separate yourself, maintain your dignity and have a clear conscience before men and God. A virtuous woman is decent and creates boundaries. I realize that we are flesh and blood and struggle with certain habits and sin. However, we are not expected to live in sin or encourage sinful lifestyle. The church of God should be a reference point and Christians should be used as standards in dressing, lifestyle, and behavior. Our lifestyle should not be confused with that of unbelievers. We must stand as role models for fellow men.

Have a strong consolation in the hope that Christ gives.  In Hebrews 6: 18–19, the Bible admonishes us to have a strong consolation in the hope that God sets for us. It says, “So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.” In this period of great uncertainty, we must be assured of the hope we have in Christ. This must be the anchor of our soul. It will keep us and strengthen us as we go through the times. Take hold of God’s promises; stand continually on his word; cultivate his presence and you will find refuge and hope for your soul.

 

I pray that the Lord will preserve you and be your confidence all the days of your life.  Keep in touch with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. God bless you.