A lot of us trust in the presence of people. There are women who cannot sleep with the lights off when their husbands are away. Parents also act as confidence boosters for their children. They are always at peace and at ease anywhere, provided their parents are with them. As a believer, God does not want you to put your confidence in man, no matter how highly placed. He has decreed that a believer who puts his trust in man is cursed. He has been empowered to fail. That is what a curse stands for—an overpowered force that lures one towards failure.
“Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord”. Jeremiah 17:5 – “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.”
Your confidence should be in God and in His ever-abiding presence.
The Psalmist said: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
There is nothing as comforting as knowing that God is with you even in your darkest moments. In all your battles of life, God is with you.
Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you always” Matthew 28:20 – “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” . He is always with you and will never fail or forsake you. This should be your greatest booster.
I remember those early days in school. If your schoolmate annoyed you in any way and you knew that you could stand him in a fight, you would lie in wait for him after school hours and deal with him. But when the person was bigger and stronger, you didn’t dare utter a word until you got within earshot of your house; then you let loose. Why? Because you knew that your parents would save the situation in case it turned against you. The presence of your parents instills Jeremiah 17:5 Jeremiah 17:5 – ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.’ in you. So also should the presence of God make you bold.
Now, let us suppose you have parents who are invalids, and as such cannot come to your rescue in any way; or maybe, they don’t just care what happens to you, then you will not dare lure anyone home for a fight. Those you cannot deal with, you will find ways to placate. What am I saying? I mean that if God is with you and you don’t know Him as one who can help you, then His presence is of no use to you. After all, God’s presence is everywhere. Why then is everyone not saved? Why do people still die every day? Why are there still accidents? The presence of God cannot help unless you know and believe what He can do for you in your situation. For instance, a man who is sick unto death and keeps saying, “I thank you Lord, for you are with me,” yet he doesn’t know God as His healer will surely die.
The presence of God with a believer guarantees safety, assuring him of a way out. His presence is always with a believer for a purpose. For the Psalmist, the presence of God drives away all fear, no matter how thick the darkness around him (Ps. 23:4 Psalm 23:4 – ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’).
For the presence of God to instill in you the Jeremiah 17:5 Jeremiah 17:5 – ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.’, you need to know Him. Know who He is and what He can do. When you know Him and the power of His might, then you have a solid basis for Jeremiah 17:5 Jeremiah 17:5 – ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.’.
The Bible says in 1 John 4:4 1 John 4:4 – ‘You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.’: “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
This is the basis for your confidence in His presence; He is greater than the devil. He is greater than every force that can be arrayed against you. If you know this and know that He is in you and with you, then there will be no room for fear or uncertainty about the outcome of any situation you find yourself in. Your victory is a foregone conclusion.