Where or what is your confidence?

The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: “‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? (2 King 18:19).

The above question the field commander of the great king of Assyria asked Hezekiah, the king of Judah, is a thought-provoking question that demands an honest answer from all of us.

Can you and I frankly ask this question to ourselves? Where or what is your confidence?

Is your confidence in your money and wealth?

Then what happens when stock market crashes, real estate market goes deep south, people steal your money or hackers destroy what you have saved by a cyber attack?
I had a man whom I knew for several years. He had several million in his possession. He had big buildings and real estates. His house was a mansion with security guards 24 hours. But I heard a couple of years ago that He lost all and died of a heart attack. He didn’t even have money to pay his medical bills during the last many months of his life.

Is your confidence in your career?

Then what happens when your company reorganizes their business structure and you are laid off? Or you may be at an age that you are unable to compete with younger and smarter new generation? What happens to your confidence in your career?

Is your confidence in your spouse?

Do you think she or he would be there all the time for you? How about a sudden tragedy or death happens? A couple of my dear friends who had high confidence in their spouse had to face the sudden removal of their spouse in an unexpected way and they were in severe grief.

Is your confidence in your children?

Then how about if they die before you or something bad happen to them? How about when they grow up, leave your home and get married and start caring for their family and interests? Many parents who placed their confidence in the children, unfortunately, had to regret later in their old age. This is not to blame the children in any way. That is how life works. The children grow and they need to make decisions for their interests and family and it can be good or bad for parents.

Is your confidence in your political influence?

You may have prime ministers or presidents on your side. Then what happens when they are not voted by the people in the next election?

Is your confidence in your flesh, strength and muscle power?

Then what happens when your health and muscle power deteriorates? A wise person remembers health and muscle power won’t last long. We all get old as we age and as the years go by our health and strength weakens.

The  king of Judah, Hezekiah and Assyrian king Sennacherib.

The passage cited about from 2 King 18:19 is the message of the conquering king of Assyria to the king of Judah, Hezekiah. Though there were many evil kings in Judah (southern kingdom of Israel), Hezekiah was a king who trusted the Lord God in heaven with his whole heart, the God of Israel. In this regard, he was like his forefather King David who followed the LORD fully. Hezekiah’s confidence was in his trust in the LORD God and not in his power. However, the new world conquering king of Assyria- Sennacherib (BC 705-681 BC) trusted in his vast number of soldiers and chariots. He was an idol worshipper while Hezekiah was the worshipper of the living LORD God in heaven who is the sovereign God of all.
In the above historical account, we can see two kings. One who believed and put his confidence in the living God of heaven and the other one who placed his confidence in himself and his muscle power.
Sennacherib, of course, amazingly might have noticed Hezekiah’s confidence and asked this question when he sent his delegation to Jerusalem, “what is this confidence that you have?” Hezekiah, the king of Judah knew from whom the ultimate victory comes. Bible says, “the king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength.(Psalm 33:16). Another Bible verse says, “This is the word of the Lord ……: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.
You see God says our success ultimately comes from the LORD God in heaven. So our trust and confidence should be in the LORD. The God’s Holy Spirit is the one who helps and saves not our might, wisdom or power.
Hezekiah being a believer in the LORD had already placed his full confidence and trust in the LORD only and he came to the temple of the Lord and poured out his soul to the LORD in heaven because he knew Sennacherib was much stronger than him and the new conquering king had already conquered many nations including the northern part of Israel. Bible says the LORD God gave the northern part of Israel to the Assyrian king Sennacherib because of her continued unfaithfulness and disobedience to the commandments of the LORD God. God sent several prophets in His mercy so that they had the opportunities to repent about their rebelliousness and sins. But they were following the idol worship system established by Jeroboam, the first king of the northern part of Isreal after the division of the kingdom into two parts -the northern kingdom called Israel and southern kingdom called Judah, due to the sins that were committed by King Solomon in his later years. There was not even one king who obeyed the LORD in the northern kingdom but they all worshiped man-made idols continuously with no repentance or change of heart. They hardened their hearts toward the LORD God in heaven who is the only God who made the heavens and earth and all in it. They broke the first commandment of the LORD that said, “You shall have no other Gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them….” (Exodus 20:3-5). As a result, God allowed the king of Assyrian to conquer them and take them as captives to Assyria in BC 722.
Now the southern kingdom, Judah, had at least few kings who obeyed and followed the commandments of the LORD. Hezekiah was one among them. When Hezekiah poured out his soul in prayer to the LORD, He delivered Hezekiah and Judah from the hands of the mighty conquering king of Assyria. Hezekiah didn’t even need to fight against Sennacherib. The LORD honoring Hezekiah’s trust, prayer, and confidence in the LORD, struck down the army of Sennacherib. The LORD said in response to Hezekiah prayer and trust in the LORD this. “He (the Assyrian king) will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there, and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came, by the same, he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the LORD. ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.” The detailed and amazing accounts of how God gave victory to Hezekiah is described in the Bible in 2 Kings 18-19.

 

Nehemiah’ confidence in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem

 

Bible says in Nehemiah 6:16 this about the enemies of Nehemiah when Nehemiah placed his trust and confidence in the LORD and started rebuilding the shattered walls of Jerusalem. In spite of the opposition from internal and external sources like the opposition of ridicule, the opposition of through threat of attack, opposition through discouragement, opposition through extortion, opposition through compromise, opposition through slander and opposition through treachery, the wall was completed successfully with the wondrous help of the LORD. There was only one reason for this marvelous achievement in the face of all these huge and powerful oppositions- the trust and confidence in the LORD God. Nehemiah himself said this, “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” (Nehemiah 6:15-16)
You see the paradox- All the enemies of Nehemiah lost their self-confidence because they realized the work had been finished with the help of the God. It was the confidence in the Lord that gave ultimate victory to Nehemiah to finish the work.

The confidence of Job in his severe testing time

Job, was a righteous man whose trust and confidence was in the LORD God and Bible describes his life history in the Book of Job. Though he was very rich because he had ten children, many servants and had much silver and Gold, sheep, camels, and oxen, his confidence was truly in God only. That is why even when he lost all his children and wealth suddenly and apparently in one day, he could fell to the ground and worship the Lord and make this famous statement, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there, The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job: 1:21). He testified that his confidence was not in silver, God or wealth in 31:24. He says, “If I have put my confidence in gold, and called fine gold my trust,
If I have gloated because my wealth was great and because my hand had secured so much……..that too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, for I would have denied God above.” In essence in his severe testing and trial time, he declares the truth of his heart- he never did place his confidence and trust in his wealth. Had he done it, it would have been denying God in his life and calling for God’s judgment. But he did not do it. His trust and confidence in the LORD was fully rewarded at the end when God restored all the blessings of Job when he even prayed for his friends who blamed him in his sever trial times. The Bible says “the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.” (Job 42:10).

The confidence of the Disciples

Acts 4:13 says this about Peter and John who were the disciples of Jesus Christ, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” In spite of Jewish  and Roman authority’s threatening to stop preaching the name of Christ, the rulers, elders and scribes observed the confidence of the Peter and John. And they attributed the disciple’s confidence to the fact that there were with Jesus, even though they were uneducated and untrained otherwise. The rulers, elders and scribes marveled at their confidence. It is true that being with Jesus and spending time with Jesus multiples a believers confidence in life and unbelievers will recognize this fact of the secret of their confidence.

Keep Godliness and contentment (which is the confidence in the Lord) because it is a great gain, Bible says.

Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:6 that Godliness with contentment (trust and satisfaction in the LORD’s provision and keeping full confidence that the LORD will take care of all your needs if we trust in Him) is a great gain. Truly, such faith and confidence in God is truly a great gain, period! The Bible says, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

Keeping Godliness along with contentment in the provisions of the LORD for our daily needs is compared with another mindset found in many people. Those who want to get rich and those who love money. |The result of such a mindset is also given in this passage. They will fall into many temptations and traps having foolish and harmful desires. The final outcome of such people is this- they can be plunged into ruin and destruction. Bible warns the love of money (love to get rich by any means) is a root of all kinds of evil. We know this is one hundred percent true if we look around in our societies. Even many true believers in Christ because of their love of money and desire to get rich, had to wander away from their sincere faith in the Lord and pierced themselves with many griefs. Each of the verses and words of the Bible can be fully trusted because the Bible did not originate from this earth. But the Bible is the Word of God which was given to us by God from heaven.

Bible says your trust and confidence should be only in the Lord God. We should not even place our confidence in a neighbor, friend and watch what you say even to your spouse who lies in your bosom.

Keep your confidence only in the Lord.

Bible says, “Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom Guard your lips.” (Micah 7:5). Bible also says, “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.” (Psalm 146:3).  In short, we should not put our confidence in princes, kings, presidents, cabinet ministers. We should not place our confidence in any human beings. Why? None of these can save or deliver us. It is the LORD who is able to deliver and save us. Psalmist says to the Lord in the Bible in Psalm 71:5, “For thou art my hope; O LORD God, Thou art my confidence from my youth.” Now when we place our trust and confidence in the LORD, He in his sovereign power can use any of the above sources for our deliverance and help. He can use people to help us and He can use thousands of other sources to help us. He will do it if you place your ultimate confidence and trust the LORD. And so let us learn to place our full trust and confidence in the LORD. He is the one who can give us success, victory and He is the almighty God who can bless us and meet all our daily needs.

Have full confidence in the Lord who promised He will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Apostle Paul had full confidence in the LORD when he said in the Bible in Philippians 4:19, “And My God shall supply all your needs, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” He shall supply all your needs ‘according to His riches in glory’. What is the vastness of the riches of God’s glory? can you imagine the richness of God in heaven? Unimaginable and unfathomable right? That is the scope and source of where God shall meet your needs. If you read slowly and carefully you will learn one more thing from the above passage. God shall supply all your needs ‘in Christ Jesus’. God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. But it is coming in and through the savior of the world – Jesus Christ. If you are a believer in Christ and if you accepted Christ Jesus as your savior, then this promise of God is for you personally.

Do you have this confidence? Are in Christ Jesus?

May I ask you this question? Have you accepted Christ Jesus as your savior and Lord? God says He shall meet all your needs if you are in Christ Jesus. All your needs include your spiritual, physical and emotional – all your needs. I invite you to come to Jesus Christ today. Bible says this and please read this slowly and carefully and think about it. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
My friend, God loves you and He proved the fact that He loves you by giving His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ- for your sake. Whoever believes in Him (Christ Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus came to this world to pay for all your sins on the cross of Calvary. He died for your sins, He was buried for your sin and He rose again on the third day for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life. What a merciful and glorious statement? Whoever believes in Christ Jesus shall have eternal life. Will you accept God’s loving invitation today?

Prayer time:

If you do pray after me like this.

“God, I know you love me and want to save me from all my sins. I know you want to give me a new life. I am sorry for all my sins. I believe Your Son, Jesus Christ, died, buried and rose again for my sins. I accept Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord. Please save me.”

If you prayed this prayer, God saved you by forgiving all your sins-past, present, and future- and granted you eternal life now.
Please visit www.teachbible.org and go to contact/prayer tab and send me a note. I will be thrilled to hear from you.