Healing Rays of Righteousness

To nurture and deepen our confidence in God is to experience its fruit of contentment and joy.

We memorize Psalm 23 and love to quote its beautiful and comforting words in times of serious illness, loss, and grief. This is good, but I cherish these verses as a declaration of my Christian faith and confidence in God.

Psalm 23, along with the whole book of Psalms, recount all sorts of human troubles, despair, and fears, but like a compass needle that keeps swinging back to the north, they keep coming back to the confidence we gain in knowing that God is always with us and for us.

The psalmist begins by declaring, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” And concludes with this declaration of faith, trust, and confidence, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  The first word, surely, is a strong word of confidence in God’s faithful love, power, and presence.

Many years later, King David wrote another song of confidence, declaring God’s presence, power, provision in his life. “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:1-3).

In every event of life, confidence in God makes the difference between hope and despair, between victory and defeat. That is why the Hebrew writer, after giving us reason to persevere in faith, urges us with this strong admonition, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” (Hebrews 10:35).

As Jesus followers, we are repeatedly encouraged to grow in gaining a greater confidence in God. But we must begin by first acknowledging that our confidence is not based on who we are, but on who Christ is within us. Then, we soon learn that this confidence in God grows best within an intimate, trusting, loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And in doing so, we discover a new and stronger confidence that blesses us with contentment, joy, and peace.

Some years ago, I had a desk calendar with these words on it: “In the presence of trouble, some people grow wings; others buy crutches.”  Those words remind me of God’s promise through the prophet Isaiah in 40:31, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”

This promise is to all who choose to use the many and varied experiences of daily living to nourish and strengthen their confidence in God’s presence, power, and love always and in every situation. And so, I pray for myself and you, eagle WINGS of confidence and contentment.

Please join me in the following declaration.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”  He makes me … He leads me … He refreshes me …  He guides me … He is with me … He comforts me … He anoints me … My cup overflows.  “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  THANKS BE TO GOD!

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Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 2/12/26