[E. H. Griffith, Joyful News, June 1944]
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).
The apostle Paul felt sure that the work would be finished or accomplished. Since it took confidence on his part to speak these words, it will take confidence on our part to do the work. Confidence means state of feeling sure; assurance; trust; reliance. I feel sure that you as pastors and band leaders can do the work that is placed upon you. I should like for you to believe that you can. It may be necessary for us to build ourselves up to the place where we can do more. Jude tells us something about this, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 20, 21). Notice the confidence David had, “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident” (Psa. 27:3). According to the wise man, the Lord is our confidence, “For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken” (Prov. 3:26).
Doing things according to His will gives confidence. Read, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14, 15).
Confidence is very essential to success. I do not think any of us would endeavor to do anything if we did not feel sure about it. The time for us to step right out on the promises of God is here because they are all, yea, and amen.
I should like for every band leader to give evidence of the fruits that are brought by confidence. Confidence gives us boldness, new power—we rely upon God because we believe with all our hearts that He will supply us with words, with wisdom to deal with situations, with understanding, with money, with whatever is needed, whether natural or spiritual. “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him” (Eph. 3:12). When we have faith in Him, when we feel no condemnation in our hearts, then we can go boldly our Father, asking Him whatsoever we will and believing that He will gladly grant us the desires of our hearts (1 John 3:21). It is then easy to have faith; it is easy to have confidence.
It is good for band leaders to try to inspire confidence in others, especially in the small group committed to your care. If the leaders are well built up on the most holy faith, then they are ready to make confidence the subject of talks at band meetings. Let us all live closer to God who is, as King Solomon declared, our confidence.
Confidence, moreover, brings reward. In Hebrews 10:35 we read, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.” Let us pray much and press close to God, believing in Him fully. Then indeed we can look for the many and varied blessings He has in store for those who put their trust in Him. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph. 3:20). Does not this Scripture build up your faith in His ability to do for His children? His manifold blessings are even beyond our imagining. We with our finite minds cannot even conceive of the wonderful things He could grant us. Let us ask largely. We may not know just how or what to pray for every time, but the writer gives room for this according to Romans 8:26-28, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
It was St. Paul who had so much confidence in the Lord that he did not fail to declare the truth. Read, “Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (Acts 28:31). We, too, can wax bold to speak the truth and the whole truth for God.
Through God we can maintain confidence… “And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you” (2 Thess. 3:4). “I have confidence in you through the Lord…” (Gal. 5:10). It is, of course, better to trust in God than in man.