Trust and Confidence

"But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence." 

Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)

I started a new online Bible study this week (I may have mentioned this before). I was so ready for it to get started that I read the first chapter and completed the reflection questions by Sunday evening.

     We were supposed to be slowly going through that process this week.

          I just couldn't wait.

And I'm glad I couldn't...because I experienced an amazing confirmation of what the author of this study, Renee Swope, is saying.  The title of the book is "A Confident Heart - How to Stop Doubting Yourself & Live in the Security of God's Promises" and I've already experienced results from her suggestions!

The last reflection question of the first chapter is as follows:

Read Jeremiah 17:7. What does this verse promise and encourage you to do? Think of one situation where you could live in the power of this promise and describe what that would look like this week.

And this is what I wrote in response to that question:

Trust...and I will be blessed if I trust. I will seek His will and guidance as I tackle my work load this week. I will have confidence and trust that He will help me make the right and most efficient choices. His hope and confidence will guide me to interact well with my employer and help me to find positive ways of connecting with her.

I not only wrote this response, I prayed...hard!  I concentrated on the promises of Jeremiah 17:7 and gave my week over to the Lord.

And you wouldn't believe how wonderful it was!  It was still challenging and, on some days, filled with back to back to back requests that never let me rest or regroup...but I was OK.  She was OK.  I even had a challenge on Tuesday evening where we could have both ended up in a grumpy way, but that didn't happen.

     Because my confidence was in Lord and it was not misplaced.

          He guided my thoughts, my actions and my responses.

               I trusted in Him and was blessed with peace, confidence and equanimity!

The trickle down from this trust is that my family and friends experienced a "happy" Leah (instead of the "I've been run over by a truck so stay out of my way" Leah that they've been experiencing a lot lately)!

And I had a great church council meeting on Tuesday evening (even though I had just experienced work challenges that could have tainted that meeting and the rest of my week)!

Trust and confidence - they are so wonderful to have and experience - in the Lord!

Dear Lord - Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! for reformatting my work experience this week. You have saved me once again. I was just about at the end of my rope.  And that's what happens when I forget to let go and let You take care of things.  I just dangle at the end of that rope; desperate, defeated, wretched and exhausted.  Why do I forget to have trust and confidence in you? Maybe you can explain that to me someday.  But, in the meantime, thank you so much for sending me this book to remind me that you are my my hope and my confidence...and for the miraculous confirmation of your providence this week! I love you. I trust you. I give my life to you! Amen.

Blessings and peace,

Leah