Our calling brings Hope...

for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
Philippians 1:19-20

Paul was in trouble. He had been arrested and was in prison under threat of death. For most of us this would be a good time to freak out. But not Paul. He had confidence in the midst of a bad situation. How did he get such confidence? I need some of that!

People with confidence have hope. They may not know what will happen but they have hope. They have anticipation of something good to come and they are on the watch for that good thing, whatever it is. They know they will recognize it when they see it and they prepare themselves to receive what they expect is coming. This confidence is what Hebrews 11:1 calls "the substance of things hoped for". It is faith! Heb 11:6 goes on to teach us that faith (confidence in God's provision) pleases God. That is because this "confidence" positions us to receive what He wants to give.

It is different with people who have no confidence.

People with no confidence are anything but happy. They have no sense of hope for the future. They live with fear. They live with dread.

People without hope may panic and lose it. People without hope may "turtle up". They may go into survival mode. They may live with a hatred of the past because what happened in the past has brought them to where they are now - living without hope.

Or, people without hope may yearn for the past. They may feel that, if they could only have another chance, they wouldn't make the mistakes they made and things would be different now. They may obsess over the "if onlys". "If only I had done something different." "If only God had done something different." People without hope often live with a lot of anger because their expectations of life and relationships have failed. Failed expectations make for very angry people.

Invariably, people who live without hope can only see their own situation. They can't see beyond their situation to God who has the power to use their situation if only they will trust Him with it.

Paul saw beyond. He had enough experience of the grace of God that his faith had grown into a confidence that God was in control regardless of how the situation looked. Even though things were tough right now, and definitely less than comfortable, he knew that God, in His love and desire for the lost, would only take him into this place in order to do something good.

Paul's job in the situation was simply to trust God.

So... You find yourself lacking hope. In a situation. Living with an accumulation of situations. How do you get this confidence?

I would like to say that you read your bible, absorb the principles and simply apply them.

Well, that is part of it but the reality is much more intense.

God had a call on Paul's life and Paul said yes to that calling. Paul gained his confidence by putting his life (not just his eternity - his life) in the hands of God the Holy Spirit. Paul told God, "my life is yours to do what you will with." God took Paul at his word and began to use him to spread the word of the gospel, the message of hope, the good news of Christ that this world is often so hostile to.

God wants to do this with us too.

Over and over the God took Paul into places and situations where only the Holy Spirit could save him. In those places people saw the power of God demonstrated and the gospel was advanced. Paul was always helpless in those places. He was always at someone's mercy. He was always in over his head. Over and over Paul, because he was willing to go to those places with God, experienced the trustworthiness and the faithfulness of God being demonstrated in his situation. Out of that wealth of experience he writes, "I have confidence!" "Confidence in my God who has never let me down." "Confidence in my God who has carried me through every situation that has been too big for me to deal with on my own."

Paul had learned to look beyond the situation and to say "Come, Lord Jesus!"

The difficult reality is that we who follow Christ only gain this kind of faith by allowing God to take us into the places where we are not in control. In those places we learn of God's faithfulness. In those places we experience our helplessness. In those places we gain the ability to say "amen!" when we read of God's power to save in the pages of scripture. This is not an easy process. In fact Jesus likens it to dying - dying to ourselves in order that we may live in Christ.

Are you ready?

Pray: Dear Father in Heaven. Hallowed Be your name. I worship you. Your Kingdom come. I depend on your power and renounce living by my own strength. Your will be done. I give myself to your purposes and renounce my own demands and plans for my life and situation. Give me today my daily provision. Lord, I trust you for all I need. You are my provider and I acknowledge that I cannot gain my own provision aside from you. Forgive me as I forgive others who have hurt me. I let go of my anger over all of the betrayal and failed expectations of my life and relationships. Lord I receive your forgiveness for being so self-absorbed. Lead me not into temptation and deliver me from the evil one. I know that nothing evil comes from you. Forgive me for the times I have blamed you for my situations, Lord and for the times I have believed the enemy's lies rather than your word. Lord, you are my deliverer and I receive my freedom from your hand. The Kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever! Its true, Lord! Keep this always before me in every situation. You are greater than anything I can encounter. I accept a new confidence in you and look forward to what you will bring, just like Paul did. In Jesus mighty name, I pray. Amen.