Holy Confidence

How I learned a lesson from my children about taking bold leaps of faith 

As the father of four energetic boys and a beautiful daughter, I am regularly jumped upon in the comfort of my own home. Often I will be minding my own business, perhaps walking past the stairs, when one of my sons will leap from a great height and land on me, trusting that I will catch him. Having gotten over the initial shock of being mugged in my own house by a person half my size, I’ve learned to take this activity as a huge compliment. It says so much about what they think of me and of what they consider me to be capable of. 

Apparently, they even think I have eyes in the back of my head. When they launch themselves from the sixth or seventh step, they are counting on my strength and quick reaction to make sure they don’t end up in a heap on the floor. I love their bounding confidence and enjoy the way it fuels a sense of carefree adventure in them. 

I wonder if we could start to live the same way in God our Father. Could we be so convinced of His strength that we live with a new holy confidence? Could we become so utterly sure of Him that our lives are marked by some big, bold and courageous leaps of faith?

Perhaps the strength of God is something we underestimate and underemphasize today. In Psalm 21:13 the worshipper cries out, “Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength” (NASB). God’s strength in the Old Testament is very clearly on display for all to see. We see Him bring victory on a battlefield and turn a weak army into a mighty winning force. 

But what does His strength mean in our own context today? What does it look like in your life or mine? I think that the strength of God manifests itself among us in at least three separate ways: It creates the possible; it turns around the inevitable; it overcomes the hostile.

As Moses led the people of God out of captivity in Egypt and to the edge of the Red Sea, there seemed to be no way through—but the strength of God held back waters so the Israelites could cross over. In that moment the inevitable recapture they dreaded was flipped on its head, and they continued to live in their newfound freedom. And to cap it all off, when they were safely on the other side, God let the sea reform, overcoming and overwhelming the Egyptians in their hostile pursuit of His people. This is the true strength of God in action, and we must apply these principles to our own lives. You may be at a complete loss for how to go forward in a situation, but the strength of God can create a way. 

You may feel that in your current circumstance you will lose or that a certain person, stress or pressure will gain a hold on you. But God in His mighty strength is able to maintain your freedom and turn around the seemingly inevitable. He can stand strong against the hostilities you may face in life, and He will overcome anything outside His plan for you.

We talk of the love, peace and grace of God at work in our lives—and rightly so, for this is absolutely the case. But we would do well to take hold of His strength at work among us, too, and begin to live in a place of confident expectation.

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 Matt Redman has been a worship leader since he was 20. He has released five albums and written six books including his newest July album and book releases: 10,000 Reasons and Mirror Ball, respectively. Copyright 2011 Matt Redman. Mirror Ball is published by David C Cook. Publisher permission required to reproduce. All rights reserved.