"In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." (Eph. 3:12 NIV)
Drive carefully. The passage above has a speed bump . For me, it was contained in just one word. Confidence.
I first hit the speed bump when I was in the wilderness a few years ago. Not the real wilderness; a far worse kind, a spiritual wilderness. You may be there too, fervently asking for insight, wisdom and even a glimpse of God's presence in the midst of turbulent times. "God, just throw me a bone." Yet, another day would pass with no discernable sign of His love or presence. Like Martha and Mary awaiting Jesus' arrival to save their brother Lazarus from death, hope fades as the Lord tarries in his response (John 11:6). I knew He loved me, but in the wilderness it was hard to see it.
Then the Word hit me. What I lacked was confidence. Confidence that He would reveal Himself. That He would be faithful, even though maybe I needed to wait a little longer to see Him. My lack of confidence rendered me powerless. Victory is hard to imagine when you believe you're alone and unsure of God's provision.
Fortunately this passage also contains a powerful remedy, literally. We gain confidence through God and by faith in Him. And that confidence produces power. Immediately following this passage, Paul prays for the Ephesian church. Three times he uses the P word, power. He prayed that they would experience power: that they would be strengthened with power (Eph 3:14), that they would have power to comprehend God's love (Eph 3:18), and that they would immeasurably experience the power at work within them. (Eph 3:20).
Knowing that Paul prayed for the Ephesian church to experience what I lacked was comforting. I was not alone. His deliverance was on its way. It took months, but I witnessed His coming into my wilderness, just like Mary and Martha. And like them, I knew it fostered a deeper belief than I could have imagined (John 11:15). Now that's a powerful kind of confidence, one that will get you over any speed bump.
Then the Word hit me. What I lacked was confidence. Confidence that He would reveal Himself. That He would be faithful, even though maybe I needed to wait a little longer to see Him. My lack of confidence rendered me powerless. Victory is hard to imagine when you believe you're alone and unsure of God's provision.
Fortunately this passage also contains a powerful remedy, literally. We gain confidence through God and by faith in Him. And that confidence produces power. Immediately following this passage, Paul prays for the Ephesian church. Three times he uses the P word, power. He prayed that they would experience power: that they would be strengthened with power (Eph 3:14), that they would have power to comprehend God's love (Eph 3:18), and that they would immeasurably experience the power at work within them. (Eph 3:20).
Knowing that Paul prayed for the Ephesian church to experience what I lacked was comforting. I was not alone. His deliverance was on its way. It took months, but I witnessed His coming into my wilderness, just like Mary and Martha. And like them, I knew it fostered a deeper belief than I could have imagined (John 11:15). Now that's a powerful kind of confidence, one that will get you over any speed bump.
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