Confide

Psalms 25:14 says “The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes his covenant known to them.”

What do you do when you confide in someone? You take them into your ‘confidence’– you trust them with what you are about to tell them — and enable a deep level of trust between you and them. What you tell them in private you know will remain private.

But also, you confide in someone when you need their help, their advice, their suggestion about whatever problem you’re facing. You know they have your best interest at heart, and they will do all they can to give you what you need. Guidance, encouragement, love, all given without prejudice, because you asked.

The Hebrew word cowd (pronounced sode (like sewed)) translated ‘confide’ gives the meaning secret counsel, trust, and a familiar conversation as between friends, but especially with God.

Psalms 8 asks God “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

God doesn’t need us. For anything. Yet He who created us loves us, cherishes our fellowship, inhabits our praise to Him and of Him, and wants good things for us even in this earthly existence. We are given the greatest blessing we can get through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and all we have to do is ask for it.  Then we receive “earth-bound” blessings from Him in many, many ways and the promise of Heaven.

An old gospel hymn says “Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your many blessings, see what God hath done.”

Americans take so many blessings for granted. Too many Christians take America for granted. Many young people today don’t have anything to compare to when regarding their situation, because they have always known times without hardship and need. And it’s not always their fault.

They are reaping the blessings of previous generations who knew hardship and need, but have failed miserably in teaching today’s youth that those times existed, and those times should be used to understand what we need to do going forward. Our past is not the only thing that defines us. What defines us is how we work today to make tomorrow better.

We cannot ignore what must be recognized as the blessing of God on our past, indeed, in spite of our past. Young people believe America is no longer a great nation, that capitalism is the cause of poverty and crime, and government is the ultimate answer to society’s problems.

It’s simply not true.

The greatest issue facing today’s youth is not material, but spiritual. Substituting things for ideologies never satisfies the needs of the soul. Substituting the wrong ideologies for spiritual core beliefs eventually leads to a breakdown of mental, moral, and emotional health that will always end in confusion and emptiness.

In the Bible, Psalm 36, it says:

“I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.

The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good.

Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.”

The only thing that will successfully turn America’s youth from making wrong decisions and believing wrong ideas is the Power and Love of God. The only thing that will deter the evil influence that surrounds them constantly is showing them the path of living a Christ-centered life by living a Christ-centered life before them.

Teach them to recognize the blessings of living in America, show them the confidence found in trusting God, and the everlasting spiritual foundation that comes from knowing Christ.

“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” –Psalm 37.

Fear God, and confide in Him, and He will confide in you.