Walking With Confidence in God’s Love and Protection

In this episode of the Confidence in God podcast, host Julie McGhghy discusses how to have more confidence in God's love and protection through eight key scriptures. Julie shares a personal story about parenting to illustrate God's protective nature and highlights verses from Psalms and 1 Corinthians that show God's continual guidance and support. The episode encourages listeners to rely on these scriptures to strengthen their faith and confidence in their relationship with God. Listeners are also invited to access a resource called Five Steps to Experience More Confidence in God and to subscribe and rate the show.

https://confidenceingod.com/ 

00:00 Welcome to the Confidence in God Podcast

00:11 Understanding Confidence in God's Love and Protection

00:53 A Personal Story About Trust and Protection

03:30 God's Guidance and Protection Through Scriptures

07:16 The Importance of God's Right Hand

10:20 Summary and Encouragement

11:31 Final Thoughts and Resources 

Transcript

0:01

Hello and welcome to the Confidence in God podcast. I am your host, Julie McGhghy, and our goal today is to help you walk with confidence in God. In today's episode, we're going to talk about how we can have more confidence in God's love and protection. We'll look at eight scriptures that help build that confidence. But before we do, are you a person who sometimes finds you lack confidence in God? Do you have faith that he is all he says he is and will do all he says he will do, but at the same time, you're not confident that he's going to do those things for or through you? If so, then I have a wonderful resource for you. It's called Five Steps to Experience More Confidence in God, and you can get it instantly by going to confidence in god.com or clicking the link in the show notes. Before we get to the scriptures, I want to share something most parents will relate to, and even if you're not a parent, if you've been around children, you probably can relate to it as well. Then when we get to the scriptures, we'll have a better understanding of God's love and protection. I have three children who are all grown now and have given me eight grandchildren. If you have multiple children or have been around many children, I'm sure you have likely encountered one like my youngest son. I was always very careful when I took my children into a store when they were young. My youngest son in particular loved to sneak away and hide when we were in stores, so I always held his hand to keep him with me, keep him from getting lost and to protect him from danger. Now, sometimes my son would walk with me while calmly holding my hand, feeling secure in my presence. But more often than not, he'd struggle against my holds so he could look around and see who else was in the store. He'd like to see if there were toys or candy around or if there was a cool place to run and hide. Occasionally he would struggle against me and get loose or, I must confess, maybe I'd gotten distracted by looking at something, or dealing with the cashier or something of that nature, and then off he'd go to run and hide. As Christians, we often forget that God holds us by the hand. He does so for the same reasons I held my son's hand when walking through the store: to protect us from wandering off from him, from getting lost or being exposed to danger. As long as we are walking alongside God, lovingly holding his hand, we enjoy his presence and protection. When we forget though, that God holds us by the hand, we often begin losing confidence in him. I've talked to many people who somehow think even though they know that they are saved by grace and not by works, that they are not good enough, that they don't do enough or they're going to just slip right out of their salvation, out of their relationship with God. So as we turn to the scriptures, we'll see that although he will let us walk away from him, he does not casually let us slip away from him. We will first see how God stabilizes us in our walk with God, and then we'll see how he watches and guides us. Through God's word, we will see why we can have confidence in him. I am going to share three Psalms that give us a picture of how god stabilizes us in our walk with him, and I'll share a verse in the New Testament that assures us that God didn't stop doing that in the Old Testament. He still does it for us today. Psalms 37, verses 23 and 24 tells us that God orders our steps and delights in our way, but more importantly, he holds us with his hand so that when we fall, and we will sometimes fall, we are not utterly cast down, meaning we do not lose our salvation. Psalm 18 verse 32 explains that God strengthens us and makes our way perfect. He has not set us on a rocky treacherous path with many stumbling blocks to make us slip and fall. In fact, according to verse 36 of that same psalm, he broadens the path that we walk on in order to ensure that we don't slip. Psalm 73 verse 23 reveals God holds us by our right hand. Now stay with me a few more minutes and we'll talk about why it is important to know that God holds us by our right hand. And then there's that New Testament verse 1 Corinthians 10 13 that assures us that God did not stop stabilizing his people in the Old Testament times. He still does it for us today. In this verse, the Apostle Paul reassures us that when we are tempted, and we will be tempted, god is faithful and he will provide a way for us to stand up under the temptation. He does not leave us to our own strength and intellect to find ways to escape temptation. Let's also remember that God guides us and watches us. He doesn't just let us wander around in the dark, searching for our way to Him. Instead through his word, he illuminates our path. In Psalm 1 19 1 0 5, the Psalmist describes God's word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. God ensures that we can find our way by following his light. The path that he is lighting for us is the path of life and righteousness where we find fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore in his presence. Yet, in those times when we feel like we are walking in darkness, we need not fear evil because God is still with us and he comforts us as King David wrote in Psalm 23, 4. God does not leave us in the dark times of our lives. Psalm 1 21 verses seven and eight lets us know god watches over us. He knows our coming and going and keeps us from harm. And according to Psalm 32, 8, he's guiding us with his eye. He's instructing us and teaching us where we should walk. Now if you're keeping track that's seven scriptures, and I promised you eight. So I have one more scripture to share that will help us envision why it is so important to know that God holds us by the right hand. Psalm 63 8 declares that it is God's right hand that upholds us. So we have Psalm 73 23 revealing that he holds us by the right hand. And Psalm 63, 8 declaring that he upholds us with his right hand. Just like I held my son's hand when we went into stores, god holds your hand. He does so for the same reasons that I held my son's hand: to keep you with him, to keep you from getting lost and to protect you from danger. And that danger may come in the form of temptation. Just as when I held my son's hand and he could still look around the store, when God holds you by the hand, you can also get distracted by looking around freely and focusing on the things of this world that seem to be very enticing. But if you are determined to get away from God and go explore more fully the things of this world, you can pull your hand out of his and God will not fight you. He is a gentle God and he gives you the choice to follow him or to walk away. There is even more reason for confidence in God. He goes a step further than I did for my own son. Psalm 63 8 again tells us that God upholds us by his right hand. If he holds your hand the way I held my son's hand, which was my right hand, holding his left hand, or vice versa, walking side by side, then you can freely look around and see what beautiful, enticing things are around you. Or maybe you'll see many things that need your attention, and these things are not necessarily bad things, sinful things, maybe the laundry, paying bills, purchasing a new car perhaps, or dreaming of that new home you'd like to buy. You can look around very freely and even pull away if you wish, but God holds your right hand in his right hand. When that happens, you are no longer standing side by side. You are standing face to face with God. He is positioning you to look into his eyes like when you shake someone's hand. Why would he do that? Because as we noted in Psalm 32, 8, God guides us with his eye. He positions us to look into his face, so we are less likely to be distracted by the things of this world. We are less likely to struggle and pull our hands from his. Now, we've covered a lot in this short period of time. Let me summarize these eight verses really quickly. You can have confidence that God is going to keep you in relationship with him as long as you want to walk with him. He holds your hand, he lights your path, he watches over you and guides you so that you do not unintentionally fall from salvation, from your relationship with God. He even positions you, so you are looking into his face. So that he can easily guide you with his eye. Pull this all together and we can be confident that he loves you more than you love him, and he wants you to be with him. He wants that so much that Jesus Christ died for you to make it possible. You can walk confidently with our Lord and not fear your every wrong move. Which of these verses spoke strongly to you today? Or do you have other verses you rely on to increase your confidence in god? let us know. Now, as I mentioned earlier, if you wanna have more confidence in God, I have a wonderful resource for you. And if you haven't already done so, be sure to go to confidence in god.com or click the link in the show notes to pick up five steps to experience more confidence in God. That's it for today. Please take a second to subscribe to our show so you'll be notified when future episodes come out. Also, it would mean the world to us if you would rate or review our show. That way more people can find out about it. Until next time, let's be confident in this that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.