Heroic confidence
I found the following quote from a Charles Spurgeon sermon that has changed my brain chemistry when understanding the fear of God and what it can unlock in us. The following quote is long but powerful…
“If you have got a great fear of God that is what you will do, but if you have not the reverence you will not have the confidence. For lack thereof you will timorously shrink back into the sin which galls you. May God give you the heroic confidence which springs of a deep fear of him.
If we have much fear of God we shall have strong confidence, but if we have not the fear of God then the fear of man will make us waver.
If you fear God much you will be like Peter and John, of whom when the council saw them it is said, ‘they wondered at their boldness.’ The fear of God will make you bold in speaking God's word. Or should you fall down in sheer exhaustion, instead of standing up in sound enthusiasm, the fear of God will prove a potent restorative.
Even if you are overthrown for a time you shall overcome at the last. In the Book of Micah we read, "Rejoice not over me, O mine enemy, for though I fall, yet shall I rise again." He that really fears God expects to conquer, even though for a time he seems to be defeated.”
A Heroic Confidence
When we think of the word “fear” we commonly think about an overwhelming feeling of dread and terror which prompts us to flee as far away from whatever is causing us to be fearful. Fear also causes us to feel weak and fatigued. However, the Bible uses the phrase “fear of God” over and over again as a positive attribute.
When we are called to fear God, we are called to draw near to Him not away from Him. God’s heart has never been to distance Himself from us. The revenant response of fearing God is a way we approach God, not flee from Him.
What I have been discovering is that fearing God is two-fold. It is a reverent respect and requires an active response! When we have reverent respect it is more than us looking at something beautiful and admiring its glory. Fearing God will unleash a heroic confidence as we pursue our God-given purpose. This heroic confidence is a unique characteristic given to us through the Holy Spirit that springs us into action.
A heroic confidence shocks people, leaving them wondering, “Where did that courage and confidence came from?!”
The beautiful mystery of it all is that a heroic confidence is nothing that can be learned or earned because it is given and activated by the Holy Spirit. Just like the Holy Spirit gave the Apostles a heroic confidence for their time, we too can be empowered to step into our calling in obedient faith.
“Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:9-10).
It is also important to mention the times where our days feel full of defeat and dismantling. I can recount troubling times upon troubling times where I truly felt at a loss for what God was doing. Much like what I assume the Israelites may have felt as they left Egypt and stepped deeper and deeper into the unknown of the wilderness; approaching what they thought was a dead end at the Red Sea with an enemy quickly approaching. We too can often feel defeated and discouraged at our present circumstances and trials.
Where is our heroic confidence in those places? I think that is why Micah 7:8 resonates with me so much… “do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”
We all fall, and we all can sit in darkness and experience the feelings of defeat and confusion, yet God is ever present and even in our darkest moments, He is still declaring victory over us. This confident assurance in God is what makes it so heroic!
Recently, my husband and I have been recalling and admiring the life of Daniel. Daniel had so distinguished himself that King Darius had plans to set him over the whole kingdom. This favor caused jealous officials to try and find ways to criticize Daniel’s life but they couldn’t find anything so they attacked his faith instead. Knowing that Daniel prayed three times a day and never hid his daily prayer routine from the government, the jealous officials came up with a plan to get rid of Daniel through tricking the king to sign a decree.
Because of this decree, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den. What would send most people into absolute terror, Daniel instead had a sturdy assurance of the goodness of God - understanding that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. This is heroic confidence!
Heroic confidence is approaching God fearfully knowing He is absolutely sovereign while having an intimate knowledge of knowing that God is absolutely good!
“Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: ‘May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end. He rescues and He saves; He preforms signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He rescued Daniel from the power of the lions’” (Daniel 6:25-27).
The Good News is this: Heroic confidence is not determined by our circumstances. Heroic confidence is given to us by the Holy Spirit. God helps us grasp how long, wide, high and deep is the love of Christ for us (Ephesians 3:18-19). This love from God, gives us a confidence that comes from the power of the Holy Spirit.
Like Daniel, when we fear God and not people, God develops in us a fight for faithfulness, a fearlessness, and a spirit of fortitude that will carry us through life’s beautiful and tumultuous journey.