A door opened in my work that, while wonderful and exciting, would be way over my head to accomplish. Without even a single prayer, I headed to my office to write the email. Fearful to how hard the task would be, I didn’t have the kind of confidence it would take to say yes.
Then I stopped. What if this was God? Would God ask me to do something that was beyond my normal strength?
Yes, that did sound like it could in fact be a plan He would create. He would plan to put me in a place beyond my ability, so He could be fully seen.
There was a group of women in the Bible who also had every reason to also be fearful, yet they found the confidence they needed to make their move.
In Numbers 26, The Promise Land is being divided up among the sons of the tribes of Israel. This where we meet the daughters of Zelophehad (or the daughters of Z as I call them). Their story begins with their problem. Tradition dictated that only men were land owners. During the passage to Canaan, their father had died … with no sons. This would mean when the five daughters entered the Promise Land there would be no promise land awaiting them.
If they didn’t do something, they would be homeless.
They had a choice: listen to the voices of their culture’s tradition, the voices possibly whispering in their own minds or make their move.
In Genesis 17:8 God had said to Abraham, the daughters’ ancient grandfather, “The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you.” I believe the Daughters of Z knew this promise; the land was for all of Abraham’s descendants, even his granddaughters.
Confidently, they made their move.
They “… approached the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, “…Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.” Numbers 27: 2 & 4
Look at these gals!
Did they shrink back because that is “just the way it was”? Hiding behind their problem, this rejection? Allow it to paralyze them?
No. They were bold and confident.
The daughters of Z claimed what was theirs’s because they knew who they were and whose they were. They didn’t allow their confidence to be in doubt because of who others said they were.
What have you faced, what are you facing, that is blocking the way of you being a more confident you? Standing in the way of you making your move?
Maybe like the daughters of Z, it has been what you haven’t had. You’ve felt that in order to be confident, you needed more. You see others experience the success you want, but you don’t have the self-worth it takes to step out, take a risk. Daily, you compare yourself to her. You know who she is. The one you wish you had her life: her job, her family, her husband, her body. No wonder she’s confident. I would be too if I had what she’s got. If I just had more.
I get that. I, too, have faced situations where I felt I needed more; more education, more connections, more creativity, more opportunities, more favor.
Perhaps you have felt confident in the past, but it just doesn’t seem possible any more. Your someone is gone, your someplace you no longer are or your something you no longer have … and you no longer have your confidence.
But you want it! You want to be brave, bold and go after the desires in your heart.
The daughters of Z knew what belonged to them as granddaughters of Abraham and daughters of God. This knowing gave them the confidence they needed to do what they needed to do.
I’m discovering, as I learn of and believe what God says about me, confidence comes!
My thinking is switching from what I think about me and my circumstances to what He says. Putting down confidence-crushing thoughts allows us to pick up Christ’s Confidence.
- He says He is my confidence.” for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” Proverbs 3:26 (ESV)
- He says I am blessed when my confidence is in Him. ““But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV)
These are messages we have to tell our heart: His truth.
Today’s our day to get the confidence we desire – Christ Confidence.
We can choose not to build our confidence on someone, someplace or something – things that we can lose or have taken from us. Unshakable confidence is built upon our unshakeable God! We can choose to dig into God’s word for ourselves and discover His promises. We can stand on those promises, becoming wise and confident women like the Daughters of Z!
ENTER TO WIN LYNN’s GIVE-AWAY
Has there been a time when your confidence was shaken? Comment below for a chance to win a copy of Lynn’s Make Your Move Bible study book and DVD bundle. (Due to high shipping costs, we can only consider U.S. entries.)
In Make Your Move, Lynn Cowell explores how confidence-in-question keeps us from boldly experiencing what God intends for our lives. Learn more about her new Bible study and download 10 Verses to Build Your Confidence here.
My friend Lynn Cowell is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and the author of several books, written for women of all ages. Her new Bible Study Make Your Move: Finding Unshakeable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures for women empowers us to find our confidence in Christ. Lynn calls North Carolina home, where she and her husband Greg, and the occasional backyard deer, are adjusting to life as empty nesters. Along with their three adult children, Lynn and Greg love hiking, rafting and anything combining chocolate and peanut butter. You can connect with her on Facebook at Lynn Cowell.
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We have been in a battle that we are still praying through for several years, it has shaken me, us, for sure. This sounds like a study that would be a blessing. A blessing for whoever receives it.
After losing my father to cancer six years ago, I just lost my mother a week ago to cancer. Having both of my parents gone has definitely shaken me up and decreased my confidence. Relying on God is the only thing that is getting me through this difficult time.
Choosing to stop working to raise young kids, then years later wishing to find a job to help pay bills. But where to start looking and knowing couldn’t find a flexible job like the one you left. And probably not be supported in the choice to go back to work.
GOD bless you guys with wisdom on HIS direction for you and provision to more than enough provide for your family.
God bless your family and your❤
My confidence was recently shaken when I was told to back off a little when trying to get and give information I felt was important regarding a loved ones health.
Needing to refocus on this in my life! It seems to be something that I struggle with daily. I need to redirect my thoughts on what and who is unshakeable and move forward! Would Love to win this to do in a small group of women!
I hope you do and share it with your small group, Susan!
Yes,And YES!
So many times you find yourself in a place of out of the Move of god. how? how ,do we get back to where ,we walk again?
Right now we are in a place of If God doesn’t answer,we could be homeless on the street. My husband lost his job,has a call on his life and well,that must surely include me,how are we going to do this? wWe must make a Move. WHERE?
Oh Tonya! Being on the edge like that is beyond hard.
One of the women I studied for Make Your Move was Rahab. Your story makes me think of her. Daily, waiting, waiting, waiting. Knowing that surely destruction was coming. What was going to happen? The only instructions she was given was to hang the red cord in the window. Nothing else!
That red cord was the reminder she needed each day to just hang on and look for the spies to come. Hang on, friend. Keep your own red cord – all of the times God has been faithful to you in the past – hanging, confident that He will meet you and care for you!
I seem to have my confidence shaken almost daily with one thing or another. I’m ready to break this cycle and start living in victory. Thanks for a chance to win this bundle.
That is where I was, too, Heidi! I’m still working with the Lord and partnering with Him daily as new things come up that want to push my confidence back down. It is a continual walk to turn to Him with disappointment and perceived failures. I have to remind my heart that my confidence isn’t about me or built on me and my success … my confidence comes from Christ!
What a timely subject, having the gift of encouragement can be exhausting especially as I am one to pour my life into another. What happens when life happens and your confidence in your abilities to make things positive no longer is there? That is the struggle I find now as I am spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically exhausted…I look forward to reading this and finding the hope I know exists in God.
Wanda I pray you ask The Lord to make you a sweet receiver and that you’d sit at His feet and allow Him and others to minister peace and encouragement to your heart ❤. You deserve the good that you lavishly give out. You were made for both/ giving AND receiving. Even banks would go bankrupt if all they did was give and not receive monetary deposits. Let The Father love you and others also. God bless you dearly and may your heart and spirit be lifted high and receive new wind to pick up and go again. Heaven’s Best to you?
I leave you with Isaiah 40:28-31?
Wanda – your feelings are similar to what made me want to write Make Your Move. I was worn out from feeling confident one day and then scraping myself off the floor the next. I knew the Lord would want me to base my confidence on Himself, finding a confidence that would not shift based on my circumstances.
I hope you find God’s word in Make Your Move empowering to you as well!
I would have to say becoming a single mom when my daughter was only 4. There was a lot of mental and verbal abuse and in the end some physical. I was so afraid to move forward. Afraid of him, afraid of life and what would happen….but I felt the pull and prayed all the time for Him to bring me through. Today, 15 years later, my daughter is graduating and making plans to start her own journeys…all through the power of the the strength she saw God give me to be able to move through and move on.
Such a powerful story, Julie! I know many can receive encouragement through it! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! My biggest moment when my confidence was truly tested was moving out of a relationship after 10 years and 3 children, I only had a part time job and would not get any support – it was an abusive situation but Phil 4:13 got me through – I am now married with 3 more children and now have 16 grandchildren. It is still difficult but Jesus is the only way!
My confidence is in a season of shaking right now. Three years ago I lost a job that I dearly loved – as well as the community that surrounded me through that job. Since then I’ve walked through a roller coaster of emotions, yet never regained confidence. Grief and anxiety consumed me and I haven’t been able to return to work. It’s been difficult to accept myself doing anything else. I loved my job! But this past December I started sensing God telling me it was time to step back out – to focus on His call on my life and serve Him. I’m slowly pushing back out into the waters and waiting to see what doors He’s going to open. Needless to say, this devotion was spot on for me today. So many words I needed to read. Thank you!
Hi, Leigh Ellen: Thank you for sharing. I am sort in the same boat as you. The store for which I worked closed this past March. I had been working there for almost 2 1/2 years – after not working for may years, having had the privilege of being a stay at home mom while my daughters were in school. The job which came to an end this past March was a great job, growing/learning experience. I think I want another part time job, but the longer I wait the harder it will be. I see things coming down the road and don’t want to have to ask for time off shortly after I start, but that might not really be so bad. 🙂 I really don’t want to start over again, but. . . may God’s will be made clear and I step into it. My word for 2018 is Audacious – fearless, brave – I want to be audacious like Jesus – to the glory of God! All this to say, I pray for you to be strengthened in your inner man to push back into the waters and see what doors God will open. May you also know the peace of Jesus as you take those steps of faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
When I started having kids! Man you think you know things, and then you get that baby and you realize you have no idea!
I experienced the same thing, Sarah!
I remember people telling me: When you bring him home, you’ll instantly feel like a mom.
Nope – I still felt like a babysitter or worse yet, a fraud. I really needed someone to come alongside me early on and teach me not to base my confidence on that little, tiny life. As they begin to grow up and then make their own decisions, it can really shake you!
Thanks for giving us a chance to win. I would say my confidence is being challenged now with being sick again for the second month in a row,not working and having to live with husband friends.
That would challenge any one of us, Noelle! Trusting that as you find yourself in a situation you don’t want to, that you are leaning into Him for His strength and wisdom!
Wow! Many mornings I am too busy and consumed by my daily tasks and duties at work and will come back later to read theses emails. Today, it pressed on my heart to read this NOW. I have had my world shaken and turned upside to the very core of my being. I already struggle with depression, though very few people would know by looking at me or casual acquaintances. When my world is completely blown to pieces unlike many, it puts me in a spiral almost impossible to stop. God has sent me several signs similar to this to let me know He has me and I’m going to be ok. Trust Him; He has a new plan for me if I’m patient enough to wait and have CONFIDENCE IN HIM. Wow!! My heart is happy for the first time in weeks! ?
His timing continually astounds me!
In the last few years my husband and I have lost all our parents, my mither being the last just last Friday. Let me tell you, it rocks your world on many levels. Fear creeps in, lack of security, the unknown of our own limited time on this earth. Grief comes in many forms and each parent’s death seem to bring a new personal level of grief. I press on and lean on Him, but question each decision I make and have made as being significant.
I, too, have lost a parent, Sara.
Toward the end of last year, I started doing my own study on the Father heart of God. I needed it for me. Need to know that He can fill that void that I feel and that place I need Him to fill.
As you journey down your own road of grief, I pray that you will find our Father to fill that love gap in your heart as well.
This has been an issue for me for as long as I can remember. But I had found some balance in the last several year. Last year the Church of which I am a member experienced a split and now that balance has disappeared.
Pamela – when our “something” is taken from us, it sure can rock our worlds. I am so very sorry! I have been through a church split and it is very, very painful!
God can absolutely restore your confidence in Him as you spend time, allowing Him to heal this hurt and restore your spirit from the split. It’s ok to let Him know how much this hurt you and how sad you are. In fact, that is a great place to take a first step.
My confidence has been suffering hit after hit since June of 2014. Our family has been hit by one thing or another since. However, I read that “If you are constantly under attack of Satan…GOOD! He knows that God has something BIG planned!” I keep that promise in my heart and mind, knowing that our almighty Father has a plan for me, that at the end of this long, treacherous road God is there with my reward, something that will bring Him glory!
This would make an excellent Bible study for my group. Thanks for the chance to win!
What a perfect reminder to yourself, Theresa! I do hope you’ll choose Make Your Move as your study. If there is any way that I can be of help to you, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. I am happy to help!
Also, you can view the first video to my study on my book page to see if it would be a good fit. The link is: http://www.lynncowell.com/make-your-move.
Thanks!
Amen sista!!
Two years ago I made the leap of faith to change jobs I had been at for 17 years. It has been the best decision ever! So very glad He is faithful!
Wonderful!
I find my confidence shaken when something at work doesn’t turn out the correct way. I convince myself that it is my fault and thus become less confident. But I need yo find my confidence, not in what happens and in outcome, but in my unshakeable God.
It sure is hard when things don’t go as we anticipated, or even how we needed them to go. I’m beginning to wonder, if sometimes God allows this in my life, so that I am more dependent on Him. I especially think this can be true when I begin to become too independent or am running full force with a plan … a plan that is mine and I am not tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit.
Other times I KNOW it is because the Lord is working humility in me. Not very fun, but something I desperately need!
i made a leap of faith move a year ago and left my family and friends, all that I knew for 52 years and followed God’s leading. It did not come with out fear and question but i conquered it and am loving where I am!!
God is good!!
That is so amazing, April! I am so glad God empowered you to take that leap!