Scripture Saturday - September 26, 2015

In this past week's entry of Tuesday Thoughts which you can read here, I shared how I am feeling the weight of spiritual warfare ever since I increased my blog posts from once a week to six times a week...

As I pondered this, the Holy Spirit brought me to the following verse:

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.…

Hebrews 10:35-36  ESV

I re-read the verse several times, letting the words sink in...

I never thought of myself as having need of confidence in God, especially as a believer - it should be a given that I have utmost confidence in Him!

The definition of confidence...

1. the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust
2. the state of feeling certain about the truth of something.

Our God has shown us throughout the Bible that He NEVER fails us and ALWAYS keeps His promises.  Indeed we CAN rely upon Him and know for certain that He is Truth!  Our confidence is built on the unfailing love of Christ.

Yet the verse in Hebrews warns us not to throw away our confidence...

The following versions of Hebrews 10:35-36 help us to feel the weight of that action even more:

So do not {throw away this confident trust in the Lord}. Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT

Do not, therefore, {fling away your [fearless] confidence}, for it has a glorious and great reward. For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised.

Hebrews 10:35-36 AMP

Do not let this {happy trust in the Lord die away, no matter what happens}. Remember your reward! You need to keep on patiently doing God’s will if you want him to do for you all that he has promised.

Hebrews 10:35-36 TLB

How do we throw away our confidence in the Lord?  By letting doubts consume our thoughts...

The antidote...

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5

How do we endure?...

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-20

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24

May we all hold fast in confident trust to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ knowing that He will never leave us or forsake us...

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