The Ways of God - Confidence

Ezekiel prophesies against many of the neighbors of Israel, speaking of their dim future. In chapter 29 he prophesies against Egypt:

3  Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt…
6  And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD…

And what is the prophecy? When you read through verses 8-15 you find that God will make Egypt desolate for 40 years, and then they will be restored into their own land and will become a base kingdom, which will no more rule over the nations.

This is an encouragement for confidence in the Word of God – What is Egypt’s status today?

But how does this reveal the ways of God that apply to me today? The reason given by the Lord for this judgment on Egypt is:

6  And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I [am] the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
7 When they took hold of you with the hand, You broke and tore all their shoulders; When they leaned on you, You broke and made all their loins to shake..

Israel had a history of looking to Egypt for help and rescue. When trouble arose, someone bigger and more powerful that Israel, to whom did they flee for refuge and help? Egypt. Rather than trust the Lord, they placed their confidence in Egypt. Isaiah speaks of this. Jeremiah also. And sadly, they were burned every time – you broke and tore all their shoulders.

And yet there is an even deeper purpose behind this:

14  And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom.
15  It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.
16  And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel…

This is what I see that applies to me: God wants me to trust in Him, make Him my confidence, my stronghold, my present help in time of need. And when I make something else my confidence, he will allow that to fail, so that I will learn not to trust it.

What is it I trust and depend on? I remember when we were first married. I would testify that the Lord was my confidence for all our financial needs. I still remember the day God shook my foundations when he revealed to me that I trusted the Lord to supply all my need as long as I had at least $100 in the bank! He spoke to me, “You don’t trust Me, you trust the $100.”

Ahhh, what really is my confidence? My education? Training? Experience? Strength? Ingenuity? Resources? My ability to make money? My money itself?

What about my future? Is the Lord my confidence or is it my savings? Social Security? My retirement plan?

What about my health? Is the Lord my confidence or is it my doctor? My health insurance?

Israel continually made Egypt their confidence, so God broke Egypt and said, it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel. Why? Because God wanted Israel to trust Him. And God wants me to trust Him, to make Him my confidence.

There are two ways God has of breaking my confidence in something other than Him. First, like Egypt failed Israel every single time, so my confidence fails me. When I have no peace and am filled with fear and trembling, my confidence is NOT God and it has failed me. Second, sometimes God knocks it down and reduces my confidence to the basest of kingdoms. Now, I have nowhere else to look but to Him. And only now am I safe!

O God, grant me grace to have You alone as my confidence.

Isaiah 30:15 (spoken to Israel when they wanted to go to Egypt for help)
For thus saith the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel;
In returning and rest shall ye be saved;
in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:
and ye would not.

Psalm 118:8 
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Proverbs 18:10
0 The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Psalm 91:1-2
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD,
He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in him will I trust.