Tag Archives: confidence

Matthew, chapter 25

“Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.”
~Matthew 25:20-23

In Jesus’ illustration of the slaves and the talents, one slave was responsible for the equivalent of 102 kg of silver (~225 lbs.), or what was back then about 100 years’ wages for a common laborer.
The second slave was responsible for 40.8 kg of silver (~90 lbs.), or about 40 years’ wages.
They both doubled their master’s initial capital by immediately investing it. (Matt. 25:16,17)
Jesus focused on the effort each made and in the story, each received the exact same compensation.
This shows me that God does not value my service to him depending on how many privileges I may hold within the congregation, but on how much effort I individually put forth in serving him wholeheartedly.
He focuses on quality, and as long as I am doing everything I can to be a true Christian, I will receive as many blessings as someone who perhaps bears more responsibility. (Matt. 25:29)

Ezekiel, chapters 1-5

“When he spoke to me, spirit came into me and made me stand up on my feet […]”
~Ezekiel 2:2

Sometimes we may feel like we can no longer go on dealing with life’s problems.
We may want to do good and move forward and onward, but we just cannot find any fight left in us.
If we rely on Jehovah God, he will give us the strength to boldly carry on. (Ps. 138:3)
He will give us the peace of mind needed to continue serving him. (Ps. 29:11; Dan. 10:19)
If we continue to ‘walk in Jehovah’s name,’ he will bless us with his superior spirit, allowing us to successfully stand up to our trials. (Zec. 10:12)

Proverbs, chapters 1-6

“Jehovah will prove to be your source of confidence.”
~Proverbs 3:26

Some of us may suffer from low self-esteem, shyness, or anxiety.
When we look to ourselves for inner strength, we may just feel void and unwilling.
But if we rely on God for strength, he will be there for us (Ps. 121:3).
A strong faith in God can make up for feelings of ineptness or inferiority.
When we put our confidence in God and let him guide us, we can conquer doubt, personal shortcomings, and any other threat to our spirituality (Mark 9:23; 10:27; Phil. 4:13).

Psalms 135-141

“If I say: ‘Surely darkness will conceal me!’ Then the night around me would become light.”
~Psalm 139:11

When we feel overwhelmed, we can rely on God’s strength to pull us through difficulties.
“On the day I called, you answered me; You made me bold and strong,” (Ps. 138:3).
Key spiritual activities that should never be cast aside include heartfelt prayer, Bible reading and public praising of God.
We should also set aside some time to kindly demonstrate personal interest toward others (Heb. 10:22-25,35,36).
As long as we have the cardinal points of spirituality guiding our day to day lives, we will not be overcome by darkness.
Jehovah can even transform that darkness into our brightest moment.

Job, chapters 16-20

“My adversary pierces me with his eyes.”
~Job 16:9

In his struggle to keep faithful, Job erroneously reasoned that Jehovah was the one testing his faith, and that God had made him a living target (Job 16:12).
The Bible clearly states, however, that “the eyes of Jehovah are roving about through all the earth to show his strength in behalf of those whose heart is complete toward him,” (2 Chron. 16:9).
So if we ever feel like God is ‘piercing us with His eyes’ because of a bitter situation we are living through, let us remember that God actually looks at us through the eyes of love (Rom. 5:8).
Amidst all his anguish, Job continued to put all his faith in his heavenly Father:

Even now, my witness is in the heavens; The one who can testify for me is in the heights, (Job 16:19).

Whatever trial we may be undergoing, let us face it with the confidence that ‘God is not unrighteous so as to forget our work and the love we show for his name,’ (Heb. 6:10; Gal. 6:9).

2 Samuel, chapters 22-24

“For you are my lamp, O Jehovah;
It is Jehovah who lights up my darknes.”
~2 Samuel 22:29

Ever feel lost in life?
Like you have no idea what direction to steer yourself in?
God promises to light our path so we know what direction to head in.
He does this when we draw close to him in prayer and when we base our decisions on his guiding principles found in his word (Ps. 5:1,2; 119:105; Isa. 30:21).
When we let God influence our decision making, we can have the same confidence as the Psalmist:

Jehovah is my light and my salvation. Whom should I fear? Jehovah is the stronghold of my life. Whom should I dread? (Ps. 27:1).

We will experience clarity and peace of mind that only comes as a result of doing God’s will (Ps. 97:11).

Judges, chapters 5-7

The villagers in Israel were no more;
They were no more until I, Deborah, rose up,
Until I arose as a mother in Israel.
~Judges 5:7

Here, the prophetess Deborah is praised in song for leading the Israelites in victorious battle against their oppressors (Jud. 4:14-16).

As women, we should never feel so powerless or intimidated by men to the point where we restrain from delivering God’s message .

To assume no one will listen to us is to underestimate the power of God’s word, for he is the one who puts it into action, and he will use any means he wishes to achieve its purpose (Isa. 55:10,11).

Therefor, may we not shy away from making a difference.
Let us seize decisive moments and speak God’s truth (John 17:17).