“In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.”
2 Corinthians 1:9-11 NLT
Where, or in whom, do we place our confidence? Paul and his fellow missionaries went through a situation in Asia that brought them close to death, and from what he wrote, there was nothing that they could have done about it. Paul found that the only place they could be confident was in God, and God came through for them, rescuing them from mortal danger. In our Western societies, much is made of self-confidence. It seems to me, as I look around in public places, that younger people, particularly those born around the Millennium, are so full of confidence. And yet, to counter that, there is so much said about mental illness in this demographic. Is it possible that the majority of our younger people are placing their confidence in the wrong place? Come to that, this is not just a question for the young: it also applies to older generations.
Most people today will never experience a life-threatening situation like Paul’s, but on occasion, we hear tales of people who cried out to God in terrible circumstances, with no one else to turn to. They didn’t spend the time of day with him at any other time, but to so many, God is the last resort when all else has failed. Inbuilt within people is the vague knowledge that there is a God, but He never appears in their thinking when things are going their way. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, wrote, “For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort” (Philippians 3:3). “Human effort” is translated elsewhere as the flesh, that part of our beings that it is not a good idea to put our confidence in. Accompanying that is the confidence that people put in their qualifications, their jobs, their upbringing, and their genes. But to put our confidence in our human nature is to believe a lie, because we are totally incapable of fixing all the adversities that come our way. I remember that some years ago, at a company where I worked, a particularly high-flying young manager aggressively chased promotions, upsetting and trampling on people in the process. He was particularly self-confident in his abilities and rose to a very senior position in his career very quickly. But he had a hobby that was potentially dangerous, and one day his parachute failed to open, and he fell to his death. A sad day for his wife and young family, but his self-confidence was of no help to him during his final moments.
There is much good advice about where our confidence should lie in the Bible. For example, Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man”. The next verse is similar: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes”. Another place where confidence would be misplaced is in the “princes“, politicians in government and others in authority. Our princes of power are not known for their sensible and Godly decision-making; instead, they are more likely to let us down when life becomes difficult. But to trust in God is the ultimate security, as Paul and his companions found out. Only God can rescue us from adversity, and as we go through our lives trusting in Him with our life decisions, He will keep us on the right path. Through our faith in Jesus, we are children of God, and, as the writer to the Hebrews said, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.
In our lives, there will be occasions when we make poor decisions, and God will not necessarily protect us from the consequences. For example, a thief who has been caught stealing from a shop will have to face the consequences of his actions, no matter how many times he calls out to God for help. But God’s grace is there for the thief, as one found out in the final hours of his life spent on a Roman cross. God will accept any person’s repentance and cleanse them from all sin.
So we, pilgrims, place our confidence in God and His Word. Biblical self-confidence is confidence in God’s Word and His character. We put no confidence in our flesh, but we have every confidence in the God who made us, called us, saved us and keeps us.
Dear Father God. We can come into Your presence, graced with the robe of Jesus’ righteousness. We thank You for Your Son Jesus and all that he did for us two thousand years ago. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 