Heads held high

Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. (Psalm 112:3, 7-8 NLT)

Wouldn't it be nice to face our foes in triumph instead of always looking over our shoulders to see when the next attack will come? To stand in such confidence so as to not fear the schemes of our enemy the devil is definitely not something we could ever do under our own power or in our own strength. We must have an 'internal strength' that is sure and certain - something we cannot achieve as long as we want to live our lives outside of the protection that comes from knowing and serving Jesus Christ. 

The godly don't fear the 'bad news' of the day - and we certainly receive more than our fair share of that these days, don't we? The 'bad news' is so prolific because the 'bad deeds' of so many is pretty prolific, as well. The events that would shatter the confidence of someone who has to figure everything out on their own are handled with greater poise and a sense of peace by those who have placed their confidence in Jesus Christ as their Lord - their protector, and provider.

A confident trust in the Lord isn't gained overnight, though. It is cultivated in the moments we spend getting to know him, understanding his ways, and learning how he deals with sin, as well. It is one thing to understand his grace - undeserved, based in tremendous love that is unconditional, and freely given to those who ask for it. It is another thing to live and walk in this grace each and every moment of our lives. There is a sense of freedom and confidence that comes to those who have learned to lean into his grace and experience his love freely.

The righteous don't fear evil because evil has no sway over their lives. They aren't drawn to it - they are repelled by it. They don't feel the enemy's intimidation because they have a well-seated confidence in the security of knowing the God of the Universe, creator and sustainer of all things, is fully in control of what happens in their lives. They know he will uncover the enemy's lies and will expose his fruitless methods of attempting to 'trap' unwitting souls. The confidence we stand in is not our own - it is HIS assurance that he is in control, even when it looks like everything around is out of control.

Triumphant soldiers hold their head high - not in pride for what THEY have accomplished, but in gratitude for what their Commander has seen, planned for, and arranged perfectly so the battle is theirs. This is the confidence we stand in today as a child of God, dedicated to his purposes, and serving him with all our hearts. Just sayin!