God's Presence is My Confidence

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 NLT

I love that God doesn’t say if you go through deep waters. He says when.

There will be difficult seasons in this life. There will be moments when you feel overwhelmed, and circumstances you don’t understand. None of us knows what this week will bring.

But there is something we can know with certainty: God will be with us.

This verse reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were thrown into a blazing furnace because they refused to turn away from God. But they weren’t alone in the fire. God was with them.

When they came out, they weren’t burned. The only thing the fire had consumed were the ropes that had bound them. God didn’t keep them from walking through the fire. He walked through it with them.

You see, God doesn’t always remove the difficulty. He doesn’t always prevent the fire. But He promises His presence in the middle of it. God is with you. And, that changes everything.

When I’m worried, God is my confidence.

Think about Moses. When God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses immediately began listing all the reasons he wasn’t qualified.

I’m not good enough. I’m not capable. I can’t speak well. What if they don’t listen to me?

Moses focused on his weaknesses. But God didn’t respond by giving Moses a motivational speech about how talented he was.

God simply said: “I will be with you.” That was the answer.

God knew Moses’ weaknesses. He knew his insecurities. He knew everything Moses thought disqualified him—and God still chose him. Because ultimately, it wasn't about what Moses could do. It was about what God could do through Moses.

And the same is true for you. God knows your weaknesses. He knows your shortcomings. He knows the things you’re insecure about. He knows the areas where you feel inadequate.

But, you don't have to carry the weight of thinking you have to be enough on your own. You don't have to have all the answers. You don't have to be strong enough for every situation. God is enough.

His presence is your confidence.

“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.” Psalm 16:8–9 NLT

Notice the connection: God is with me, therefore I will not be shaken.

When we become aware of God's presence, it brings stability to our lives. It calms our hearts. It relieves our stress. It gives us courage to face what we couldn't face on our own.

We can say, “I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know who will be there.” That's confidence. That's peace.

That's why we can say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Our confidence isn't in our own strength. It's in Christ's strength.

He's with me. So, I don't have to be afraid.

He's with me. So, I don't have to have everything figured out.

He's with me. So, even when life gets hard, I don't have to face it alone.

“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.” Psalm 23:4 NLT

Notice again: walk through. The valley isn't our final destination. We're going through them. And, God is going through them with us.

So, whatever you're facing today, remember this: God's presence is greater than your problems.