October 1 – Confidence in God (Psalm 27)

“Though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.”(Psalm 27:3)

IN WORD:
Feeling besieged? Don’t be surprised. It’s a natural human condition. Few people go through life with a sense of invulnerability. We question our strength, and, when trouble strikes, we doubt our ability to stand. We don’t feel invincible, so we fear trials. When war or even minor conflicts break out against us, confidence often disappears.
David was no stranger to conflict. He was also no stranger to fear. His understanding of God’s strength and sovereignty did not come by birthright, it came by experience. When he tells us in verse 1 that the Lord is his light and salvation, the stronghold of his life, he can make such claims only because there were times when he was forced either to lean on God to to wither away and die. The truth of God’s strength is only learned during times of vulnerability. Strong, confident people learn to rely on themselves. Weak, helpless people learn to rely on God.
David’s introductory question in this psalm — “whom shall I fear?” — is purely rhetorical. He knows the answer: no one. If we can honestly claim with David that the Lord is our light, salvation, and stronghold, we can ask the same question without any fear of a valid answer coming up. We can be afraid of no one.

IN DEED:
If you’re trying to work yourself into a state of confidence, be careful of where that confidence is placed. The model of over-assertive strength that the world urges us to follow, overestimates the power of man. Christians are not called to follow it; we are called to place every hope in the almighty God. If we need a source of strength, our inner self will not encourage us very much. God will.
Learn to speak the words of David. Say them out loud to yourself, if necessary. You are not playing psychological games, you are rehearsing the truth. Though war break out against us, we have every indication that our confidence in God is well-founded. Our heart does not need to fear, because we are children of the fearless One.

“Confidence in the natural world is self-reliance; in the spiritual world it is God-reliance.” -Oswald Chambers-