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True confidence doesn’t come from ignoring the Author of life or neglecting His manual for living—His Word. Real, lasting confidence is a gift from the Spirit of God, given when we walk in the way of the Father. But the power to walk in that way only comes through connection with the Father—made possible in the Word—through Jesus (John 1:1, 14).

These thoughts came to mind as I read today’s Scripture selections from the Psalms: 17, 35, 54, and 63. David was mistreated and misunderstood long before he became king of Israel. His brothers dismissed him as an annoying boy when he spoke truth about the God of Israel. His king tried to pin him to the wall despite David’s faithful service and pure intentions. And when Israel’s enemies pursued him? Well, perhaps they were the only ones who had legitimate reasons to fear him.

Yet during all this, David could confidently declare:

"My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped." – Psalm 17:5

How many of us can say that? With the relatively minor hardships we face compared to David’s trials, have we been fully faithful to God and blameless in how we’ve treated others? I know I haven’t.

Even in David’s imprecatory prayers—those raw cries for justice—he approaches God with a humble heart. In Psalm 35:27–28, he prays:

“Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!’ Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.”

This isn’t a bargaining prayer. He’s not saying, “God, if you rescue me, then I’ll praise you.” David’s prayer is that God’s people, who are rejoicing, will have more reason to rejoice because of God’s worth being highlighted through David’s story.

David offers praise with no expectation of reward. In Psalm 54:6–7, he proclaims:

“With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.”

A freewill offering is just that—free. There’s no kickback, no benefit on a tax form. David’s praise is not transactional; it’s relational. I found Psalm 63:3 to be a great summary of these passages:

“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.”

The Hebrew word for “steadfast love”—hesed (חַסֶד)—is rich with meaning. No single English word captures its full significance. To the Old Testament mind it speaks of loyalty, unconditional acceptance, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness, and merciful love. David understood that even before he had a crown or a kingdom, he already had God’s hesed. That alone gave him confidence in his identity and security in his calling.

Takeaway: True confidence—a confidence that will not disappoint—is revealed to us in God’s Word. Like David, we can stand firm, not because life is easy, but because we are in relationship with Him through Christ—we are grounded in His Word. When we truly grasp the depth of His hesed, our confidence will be evident to all as we praise Him freely, walk with Him boldly, and trust Him fully.