Having Done All, Stand

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart’ (Proverbs 3:5). So why do we worry? Why do we get anxious? What do we fear? Surely, if we’re worried, anxious or afraid, we’re not trusting God. We can’t have it both ways. We either trust Him or we don’t. And if we’re not trusting God, or unsure if we can trust Him or not, we’re opening the door to doubt. Doubt cancels trust, and it also cancels faith. Faith is the essential foundation for a right relationship with God. ‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him’ (Hebrews 11:6).

So, what is faith? A dictionary definition is ‘complete trust or confidence.’ In Hebrews 11:1, the Bible takes it further, and is much more definite. ‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see’. There is no wavering, no sinking sand, but solid rock. It’s firm and dependable.

Faith is not believing in God, but believing God Himself. It has to be, otherwise it is no longer faith, but becomes doubt. Faith is only secure when we hold it firmly, and never let go. ‘So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal’ (2 Corinthians 4:18).

‘Don’t be anxious about anything’ (Philippians 4:6).  Let all anxiety be blown away by the wind of faith. Our foundation is truth, on which our faith is built, immovable and unshakable. Then, all we have to do is stand on it, firmly and securely, with our feet dependent on His word, and our heart steeped in the truth, ‘and having done all, to stand’ (Ephesians 6:13).

We stand on the rock of Jesus Christ, unmovable and unshakable, safe, and secure. My wife and I were walking along a secluded beach recently. We came across a rock, about three metres high, and almost completely round, like a giant golf ball. We tried to push it. No matter how hard we tried, it wouldn’t move. It remained fixed to the spot where it had been standing, for possibly hundreds of years, if not thousands. It was immovable. ‘And there is no Rock like our God’ (1 Samuel 2:2).

What more is there to do? If we play our part, God Himself is our deliverer. The shifting sands of uncertainty and doubt, the threatening snares of anxiety and fear, and the dread of looming darkness that lies ahead, are all swallowed up by the grace and the love of God. His strength and His power overcome all the works of darkness, as we rest securely in His promises. ‘Truly He is my rock and my salvation. He is my fortress, I will not be shaken’ (Psalm 62:6).