Confidence

At the 2026 Australian Open, after a successful match, Coco Gauff named the word, confidence, as the inspiration for her tennis grit. “I am trusting my shots,” she said. “I have done the work off the court and that gives me confidence in a big match.” She was then handed a marker to write a message on the camera lens (a tradition for the winning player). “Confidence is key!” she wrote. Interestingly, two days later that confidence waned and she played a dispirited match losing to a player she was expected to breeze past.

The allure of being confident pops up in social media. I am personally bombarded by ads that assure me I will be more confident once I apply some magic cream. The stipulation is that the results will only be visible after a period of time. Therefore, Amazon is happy to initiate an auto shipping relationship where mysteriously the price increases. Their promise of added confidence is as fleeting as the dollars I have spent.

The Bible says that the only source of confidence in this life is that which is placed in God himself. Jeremiah 17:7 says, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

In Psalm 121 (called a “psalm of ascent” because it was likely sung by pilgrims making their upward climb toward Jerusalem) David asks, “Where does my help (confidence) come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” The psalm continues with these affirmations, “He will not let your foot slip. The sun will not smite you by day nor the moon by night. He who watches over you will neither slumber nor sleep.” This would have been of great comfort to ancient travelers dealing with scorching heat, rough terrain, and the threat of thieves and robbers.

It is equally reassuring to us. God never sleeps. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is the same God who parted the Red Sea. Those who place their faith in him may walk through the shadow of death, but they will also abide in the shadow of his wings.

Where does your help or confidence come from? This is an especially pertinent question in light of the turmoil pictured on our news feeds where evil seems to be winning. But it behooves us to recall that this is the very world God stepped into and became one of us – where he endured untold suffering on our behalf and is now able to empathize with our anguish. He also tells us that one day, all will be accounted for and justice will prevail. Psalm 103 says, “The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.” Revelation 21 speaks of a time when death will be no more, when God himself will wipe away tears, when the former things will have passed away and God will make all things new.

I recently read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with my 6 year old twin granddaughters. The characters are under the reign of the evil White Witch who rules Narnia with cruelty, making it eternally winter (with no Christmas). Evil seems to be winning. But then hope rises. Aslan, the God figure, “is on the move.” Aslan enters Narnia, takes the punishment of sin upon himself, and rises again in glory to make all things new. The Witch is vanquished and Spring returns.

Our God is also on the move. And he will never leave us or forsake us. And when we place our confidence in him, we can have peace that passes understanding and supersedes circumstances.

Verses on Confidence in God

• Philippians 4:13 (NIV): “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
• Joshua 1:9 (NIV): “…Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
• Proverbs 3:26 (NIV): “…for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.”
• 2 Timothy 1:7 (GNTD): “For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.”
• Hebrews 10:35 (NIV): “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.”