Devotional by Ray Stedman for March 2-Where is Your Confidence?

Table of Contents

Topic:Where is Your Confidence?

…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Phil 1:6

Ray Stedman devotion
Ray Stedman1

Perhaps Paul’s joy in these people at Philippi was that he was seeing them by faith. Not as they were, but as they would be when God’s work was done. He was looking at them with the eye of faith. He was sure that He who began a good work in them was going to finish it, so Paul could say that, even though you rub me the wrong way once in a while, I know what you are going to be. This is the key to getting along with other Christians. Sometimes it’s difficult, but when we realize what they will be we can do it. I heard of an artist who called a friend in and asked him to comment on a picture he was painting. He said, this is my masterpiece. It is beautiful. The man said I guess I don’t see what you see. It just looks like dabs of different colors to me, without form or anything. The artist said, Oh I forgot. I’m seeing it as it will be when finished. You are seeing it as it is now.

This is what Paul was doing. He was seeing these Christians as they would be and he thanks God it’s going to happen. What a comforting verse. Many times, when I am discouraged with myself, I utterly despair of being what I ought to be. I am so aware of the deceitfulness and subtlety of the flesh. Even when I want to be what I ought to be, I end up deceiving myself. I see the utter futility of depending on me to get this job done. In those times, I try to remember this verse, being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

This means that life is not perfect yet. It has an adequate goal, and it is a goal which will be reached, and the final responsibility is not in my hands but in God’s. I love that! Paul’s confidence is placed in a Person, not on himself. We are all, if we know Christ, in the hands of the One who can change us. Sometimes we don’t want to be what God wants us to be, but it’s being done in us despite us. God knows how to bring us into the circumstances that will make us willing to be made willing, if He needs to. It’s a great consolation to recognize in whose hands we are. The impression is often given by we Christians today that our main task is to keep Christianity going. Christianity didn’t start that way. These early Christians gave the very clear impression that it was their faith in Christ that kept them going. There are those who tell us that we can lose our Christian life, but if this is something we can lose, then it must be based on some human factor — that it depends on us. But if it depends on us, then we can’t depend on it. I am so grateful that this rests upon a Person who is capable of doing the work, and who has promised to complete it. Thanks be to God who is able to keep us from falling.

GET FREE UPDDATE VIA EMAIL

JOIN OTHER CHRISTIANS GET UPDATE BY EMAIL

Join 5,770 other subscribers

Lord, keep me from the folly of thinking that it is the crusade I launch or the activity that I fulfill or my busyness that accomplishes your will today, rather than what I am in Jesus Christ, and all that marvelous love of Your being flooding through my soul, into my experience and actions.

Life Application
Joy is ‘the serious business of heaven’. It is a consequence of being preoccupied with the living and indwelling Christ, confident that He will complete His redeeming work in us and through us. Are we there yet? No, but God isn’t finished either, so let’s pay attention.

About Olorunsola Emmanuel

Check Also

247devotionals.com

Devotional by Ray Stedman for December 29- Coming to Mount Zion

Topic:Coming to Mount Zion You have not come to a mountain that can be touched …


Enjoy Daily Prayers and - Open Heavens Daily Devotional - Billy Graham Daily Devotional - Our Daily Bread Devotionals - UCB Word for Today Devotionals - In touch Ministries Daily Devotionals - My Utmost For His Highest Daily Devotionals - All Rccg Live programs and Events - Rccg Sunday School Manuals ( Weekly Teacher and Students Manuals ) - Winner Chapel Daily Covenant Hours and Programs - Dclm Pastor Kumugi Daily Manna Devotional - Seeds Of Destiny Daily Devotional - Spirit Meat Rev. Olusola Areogun Daily Devotional - CAC living Water Daily Devotional Guides - CAC Weekly Sunday School Manuals - Rhapsody Of Realities Daily Devotionals - Our Daily Journey Devotionals - Turning Point Today Daily Devotionals - Christian Useful Secrets Tips - Worship Video Musics and songs - Ray Stedman Daily Devotional - Pastor Benny Hinn Inspirational Teachings - Bishop David Oyedepo Inspirational Teachings - Pastor Rick Warren Daily Hope Devotional - Pastor Faith Oyedepo Motivational Messages - Daily Devotions Etc

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Discover more from Daily Inspirational devotionals

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading