Vital signs- Wednesday, June 7th, 2023

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Have you ever felt insecure? Have you ever felt like the confidence you want is just out of reach? Have you ever felt that if you would just work hard enough, you would look good enough yo be noticed. Have you ever felt that if you were just talented enough you would fit in the locker room ? Have you ever felt that if you could just keep up with the latest trend, then maybe you would be confident ? For some reason, confidence always feels unobtainable no matter how hard you try.

The opening verse in Psalm 23 tells us “the Lord is my shepherd.” In just those five opening words, you can discover the identity and confidence for which you were created. Culture today may try to convey that you need to create your own identity and rely on self-confidence to carry you through life. But the truth is, we are all designed to be fully dependent on God and to look to Him for your confidence, purpose, and identity.

If you Google the definition of confidence, you will find that it means “to have the feeling or belief that one can rely and have firm trust on someone or something.” To the degree that you can understand that truth, and believe that the “someone or something” is Jesus, you will be able to walk in full confidence, trust, and reliance on Him, believing that He knows you, your needs, your desire, and your heart.

There are so many different paths that you could wander down hoping that one of them would bring you confidence, joy, or purpose. But the beauty of following Jesus is that if you keep your eyes on Him, then you are on the right path already. There will still be moments that seem dark, and days where the pressure is too much, but in those times you will have the God-confidence that on His path, you are cared for and loved and have purpose just as you are.

You are designed by a God who knows you, who understands what you need, and who is the One on whom you can always depend.

Team Wade loves you and is praying for you .❤️👊