Thursday

Week 10 – Thursday – Confident in the Lord

Go read Philippians 2:24
<> Where is Paul while he’s writing this letter?
<> What does he say he’s confident will happen?
<> Does he have any control over this situation?

Go read Hebrews 11:1
<> Can Paul physically see a way for him to visit the Philippians?
<> Why is he confident anyway?
<> Are there any areas of your life where you can’t see a way out – hope for resolution?

Paul is stuck in a very physically daunting situation. He is in physical chains. He can’t physically go where he wants to go. And in the midst of that situation, he sits down and writes a letter to his friends in Philippi with a major emphasis on the idea of joy.

Despite his chains, despite his captivity he tells them he’s confident he’ll see them soon. That’s quite a claim for a man who has no control whatsoever of his physical freedom.

The Basis for Confidence:
Go read Acts 9:1-14, Acts 14:8-10, Acts 16:22-36.

<> What kinds of things had Paul seen God do in his life as a Believer?

Considering the fact that Paul had seen God work in miraculous ways, his current “impossible” situation was no reason to lose confidence. In fact, God had specifically released him from a more dire prison situation before. Faced with turmoil, Paul considered the Lord’s past performance record, and decided to continue trusting Him. Good call, Paul.

<> Considering your life, where has God shown up before?
<> How miraculous is it to consider the fact that God has freed you from sin issues that used to own you?

If you take stock of who you were before Christ got a hold of your heart and put His Holy Spirit inside of you to start to live out His purpose in your life, the miracle of salvation becomes crystal clear. Your past experiences and God’s faithfulness to continually grow you towards Him and advance His kingdom are worthy of your confident faith in whatever situation you are currently facing.

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