I Samuel 17:46
“This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
Such confidence. While not a prophet in the usual sense, Acts 2:30 says he was a prophet. His prophecies are contained in the Psalms. This would explain his ability to speak with such confidence. Are there things in which we could speak with such confidence? Yes. There are many promises in the Bible. We can confidently trust them.
God wins. This brings much comfort as we look at the state of our world. It's grim and things don't look good for those with a godly view of life. However, we've read the Bible and know that the Lord will conquer in the end. We can have joy and confidence as we go through our days. Yes, the news is bad and we should pray and work for positive outcomes, but even if they don't happen, God's got us. We can go out and live confidently and joyously in Him.
Romans 8:28 gives another wonderful promise, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose". What a great promise. While we go out with our own expectations, they aren't guaranteed. There will be disappointing outcomes. But God, being as great as He is will turn all out for the good for those who trust Him. This is amazing. I'm presently applying this about something that worries me. This passage tells me not to, but to confidently live and leave the outcomes to Him. I know that even if it ends as feared, He will use that. This allows us to rest.
There are several promises in Psalm 23. "He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies". This was one I would have never expected. He brings us honor. My religious upbringing emphasized humility and would have almost seen this as a sin. However, as we follow Him, He rewards us with respect. We all like to be well thought of. We don't have to be our own campaign manager or tute our own horn. The Lord will do that.
Another promise from Psalm 23 is "Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life". While we prepare for our future, God does to. Part of it is sown in our present. We reap what we sow. If we sow mercy, it will be reaped. But beyond that He causes goodness and mercy to follow us.
Another promise is "the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want". As we trust in the Lord and obey Him, He fills us. As people we have a variety of needs and wants. God makes sure we have enough. David says in Psalm 37:25, "I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging for bread". Several things are going on. The Lord convicts us when we make bad choices. So we repent from those things that might lead to emptiness. That accompanied with His supplying for us, we can confidently say He will meet our needs.
He prospers us. David also says in Psalm 1:3, "He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." This doesn't mean we all become wealthy, but that we will bear fruit. This comes in a myriad of ways. It comes in our jobs, relationships, health and so on.
He fills us with joy. Paul says in Romans 15:13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." His joy is to be an ever present reality for us. Like flavor to water or music in the background, His Spirit gives us His joy. It's much deeper than happiness. It may be the byproduct of being in His presence. As we walk with Him, He and His joy are with us.
Staying with joy another verse says, "The joy of the Lord is our strength." It's the opposite of "fatigue makes cowards of us all". We may be in many states in which we are down. His joy helps us to proceed. It's much deeper than happiness. We can still have joy, when down. Like a fire deep within, His joy can give us a smile and hope to go on.
The most amazing promise is His abiding presence. Matthew 28:20 says, "and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age." His loving presence is what brings everything else, His love, hope, options unto infinity.
Lord, thank You for Your wonderful promises. We can confidently live expecting them because of Your love and provision. Thank You Lord.