My Closest Confidant
My closest Confidant! Have you met Him? Is He yours? Might we now take a closer look at this One who would be a Companion to all who seek after Him?
There are truly many ways to define Him of whom I speak: Mighty God, Lord of lords, King of kings, Deliverer, Redeemer, Savior, Protector, Shepherd, True Vine, Bridegroom, Master, Christ, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and many more. But my purpose today is to look at and understand a certain aspect of His character that makes up the One who is my truest Friend, Guide, Counselor, and most specifically, my closest Confidant.
A confidant is a person entrusted with secrets or a confidential (trustworthy) friend. Maybe we should ask “Is He worthy of our trust and confidence?” David said in Psalm 118, “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever…. I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?… It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes…. The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.” (Psalm 118:1,5-6,8-9,14)
In Hebrews 4:15-16 we read, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” In my Bible I have noted by boldly: “or, ‘with confidence.’ ”
To further illustrate the trust He is worthy of I would like to mention a couple qualifying factors about the Lord. First, He is the One who knows me altogether, for He is my Creator. “O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether…. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:1-4,14)
To think! The Lord knows me through and through: how I work, think, act, and why. How privileged we are to go to the Creator, the Expert who has all the answers. Indeed, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” (Psalm 139:6) In Him we can completely trust, and in His will we are completely safe. He has plans for us, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
I remember when this reality especially hit me. It was a day when the little things seemed like mountains and a small change like a disaster. As I drew apart to think and pray, I became aware of the wonderful truth of our loving Creator. 1 Peter 4:19 stood out to me: “Commit the keeping of [your] souls unto him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator.” Our God cares. He that created me would surely take care of all my needs. I needed to trust.
This brings be to my next thought: His way is best. On our own we will go astray, but “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” (Psalm 18:30) Will we be as the simple ones who love their own way and hearken not at the voice of the Lord? “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh…. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” (Proverbs 1:24-26,33)
I have found His way is best in my own life. When I commit all my thoughts and ideas, hopes and plans to God, how beautifully He works all things out than if I struggle in my own strength!
I can think of times when I had bright plans and hopes of some future event, only to have them dashed. Then disappointment would come in like a flood and I would be tried exceedingly. A change of plans was synonymous to a battle with tears of disappointment then. How I am thankful that that last word can be put in! The Lord had led to me to higher ground to see what really matters. I am learning to say with Paul, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philemon 1:21) He has taught me to give over my plans and hopes into His keeping. Whatever happens I know He has designed it for my best. It is not that I always perfectly understand, oh no. It is that I am learning to trust.
And so I desire to have these verses lived out in my life: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and be shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) My own understanding is pitifully inadequate compared to the great wisdom and knowledge of God. But it is often so easy, so natural to lean on it. It takes an effort to bring each thought and care in subjection to Him. It is by having our confidence fully in the Lord that we can trust Him without hesitation, and then to obey. These two are almost inseparable in nature: for to obey is to trust, and to trust is to obey.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)
Both these passages speak of God’s greatness. How small we are! Is it not rightfully our privilege to trust such a One, to put our full confidence in Him? Is He worthy of our trust? Yes, a hundred times, yes!
Let us now consider this step of putting our trust in God. David said, “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust,” (Psalm 31:1) and went on to speak of his dependence in God. Are we leaning on the Lord and seeking His will? Then we have the promise of an ever- present Help, a mighty Deliverer, a Strong Rock, a Guide and Strength in this life. How can we expect the Lord’s direction and protection if we stubbornly go our own way? We need to put our trust in Him.
Trust. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary renders it “Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity (habitual observance of truth), justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person.” It is an act of our will, not of our emotions. We can feel many different ways, but if our will is set to trust the Lord we have a solid foundation. When our confidence is fully in the Lord we have no reason to be fearful, worried, discouraged, or care-worn. He is able, trust Him!
I would like to put before you a thought to illustrate our relationship with the Lord as our closest Confidant. Have you ever had the feeling that your parents wouldn’t approve of something you have thought of doing? Or maybe a friend suggested something, but you knew deep down that Daddy probably wouldn’t like it? Have you ever had this experience before and struggled with your conscience whether to go and ask (knowing quite well the answer would be “no”) or just avoid asking? I have, and believe each one of us has had such an experience.
As we grow up we began to realize the boundaries of our home, the allowances and feelings of our parents, and later their convictions and desires. How often have we seen or heard of the willful child who knows how to “play the game” and get his way with his more lenient parent. Quite quickly children realize which is sympathetic to their “plight,” and the one whose word is law. Even as we grow older we often find ourselves sharing with those who will “understand me.”
These actions are also found in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. As His children do we bring our every care, concern, and desire to Him, or do we unconsciously find ourselves hiding something, because deep down we know He wouldn’t approve? There is a poem I found that was along this same line:
Please Him
When you think, when you speak, when you read, when you write,
When you sing, when you walk, when you seek for delight—
To be kept from all evil at home and abroad,
Live always as under the “eye of the Lord.”
Whatever you think, both in joy and in woe,
Think nothing you would not like Jesus to know.
Whatever you say in a whisper or clear,
Say nothing you would not like Jesus to hear.
Whatever you read, though the page may allure,
Read nothing of which you are perfectly sure
Consternation at once would be seen in your look
If God should say solemnly, “Show me that book!”
Whatever you write, in haste or with heed,
Write nothing you would not like Jesus to read.
Whatever you sing, in the midst of your glees,
Sing nothing that God’s listening ear could displease.
Wherever you go, never go where you fear
God’s question being asked you, “What doest thou here?”
Whatever the pastime in which you engage,
For the cheering of youth or the solace of age,
Turn away from each pleasure you’d shrink from pursuing,
Were God to look down and say, “What are you doing?”
—Selected from Seeking True Values, by Pathway Publishers
Shall we not then form the habit of bringing each thing in our lives under God’s authority? Habits are important things that are hard to break once they are formed. If we form the habit to cheerfully obeying in our earthly homes, how much more easily it is to give such service to our Heavenly Father! God is interested in us, in what we do, say, and think. He wants to be our Confidant, our closest Friend, in whom we can confide all things. How much He loves us! Why should we shrink from telling Jesus, from taking time to be with Him, from seeking His guidance in all areas of our lives? Let me share how the Lord has blessed me in this area:
Lately I have taken time to spend of few minutes for “a confidential chat with Father” after lunch each day. I have always made a purpose of having my personal devotions each morning after I awake, and at night I commit all the doings of the day, my concerns and cares to Him, but a mid-day talk helps to renew my focus in the midst of everyday activities. By setting aside that time I can “come boldly unto the throne of grace… and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) I can prioritize my activities to spend time on those things that really count. I can obtain of Him the love I need to serve as Jesus did, the patience to bear and forbear, the humility to walk with God. What wondrous place this is to sit at His feet and know that He listens and cares and has all the answers! There is no better offering that we can give than to “Please Him.”
So now, let us learn to lean on the Savior each day, to bring all things in subjection to Him, to ask His permission. A chorus of a hymn I love:
“I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.”*
We can make our confidences with Jesus part of every day. What sweet peace there is in knowing that all is with the Savior and we are clear with Him!