Cast Not Away Your Confidence -- part 1

For the next four weeks we will be looking at the topic of “confidence” and specifically the phrase from Hebrews 10:35 (NKJV) that says, “ Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.”

First of all, what does the word “confidence” mean? What is “confidence?”

• A quality of assurance that leads one to undertake something.
• A belief that one is able and this brings boldness and openness.
• A faith in God and in others.
• Trust or faith with a feeling of assurance.
• Synonyms: trust, belief, faith, sureness, certitude

Mothers of Nations, I believe that God is raising up a remnant of confident people! The Lord needs women leaders today that are confident in the Word, in their calling, and in their relationship with Him. In all that comes our way we need to embrace God and allow Him to firmly establish confidence in our lives. Standing on Philippians 1: 6a, we can trust and believe that “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Also, let’s not forget or overlook the truth of the Scripture which states that without faith (confidence), it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11: 6)

Throughout time we see that God has always chosen leaders who have learned to walk in confidence or were already exhibiting confidence as a way of life. Let’s look at a few Bible characters and discover how their lives exemplified confidence. 

• Abraham: It certainly would have taken confidence for him to leave his homeland, to turn to the One God, and to believe that God would provide a sacrifice.

Genesis 12:8 -- And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.

Genesis 22:7-8, 10-13 -- ⁷ But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” ⁸ And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together… ¹⁰ And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” ¹² And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” ¹³ Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

As Abraham acted with confidence in all that came his way, God provided! 

• David: David exhibited confidence in many ways. He believed that God would deal with Saul. He remained confident hiding in caves while his king (leader) was trying to kill him. Through all his trials he remained honorable (integrity) during the numerous attempts on his life.

1 Samuel 26:3-7-- ³ And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. ⁴ David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come. ⁵ So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him. ⁶ Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” ⁷ So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him.

• Three Hebrew Children – Even in captivity they were confident that their God would save them in the fiery furnace. 

• Noah – What great confidence it must have taken to obey the mandate of the Lord and to build an ark among a world of mockers!

Genesis 6:1-8, 14-15 -- Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, ² that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. ³ And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” ⁴ There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. ⁵ Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” ⁸ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord….¹⁴ Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. ¹⁵ And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.

• Paul: Paul preached with confidence, wherever he was, no matter the circumstances.  

Acts 28:30-31 – ³⁰ Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, ³¹ preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

Paul had just come through a shipwreck and had escaped to land. As well, a viper bit him as they made a fire, but none of that quenched his confidence. He boldly preached to an audience who didn’t want to hear Jews speak. None of this was easy and some believed it and others didn’t. Despite hard hearts, closed eyes, and deaf ears, Paul chose to not cast away his confidence!

Next week let’s dig deeper into this admonition to not “cast away your confidence.”

Standing confident in the Lord,

Dr. Sharon Predovich