Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭112‬:‭6‬-‭9‬
Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn will be lifted high in honor.

It is interesting to look at the merit system of this world. When you go to a networking group, many times people will tell you about their accomplishments. This can include educational background, sales success, specific knowledge or abilities, and who they know. In the world, these things can sometimes carry weight. What is more important than all of these things are some of the character traits that we want to see, like honesty, integrity, sticktoitiveness, passion, being a person for others, kindness, etc. And these character traits are demonstrated by actions.

Different from the world system, God values us not by our accomplishments or by what we do, but instead by whose we are! He values us as his children, if we have chosen to follow him and accept the saving grace of his Son, Jesus Christ. To accept Jesus means to place him on the throne of our lives as Lord and Savior. There is no dual allegiance (God and self or others or things) in God‘s kingdom. We cannot barter with God. He reigns supreme.

And when we follow him wholeheartedly, we are filled with a confidence that is out of this world, as well. This confidence allows us to approach God in asking for things to help us in our times of need. The reason we have this confidence is because our hearts have become aligned with the heart of God. We ask for things that are already on God‘s heart — because we know his heart. And what we ask for demonstrates what most matters to us.

Do we need help? We should ask God. Are we sick or hurting? We should ask God for healing. Do we find somebody along our path in need, like the Good Samaritan did? We should respond quickly and help them, being confident that God will provide for us. (See James 5:13-18)

Spiritual confidence is such a powerful enabler for good. We see here in Psalms that those with the confidence of God give freely to the poor. They do the works of God without hesitation. And because they’re doing the works of God, they can seek God‘s help without hesitation.

Lord, build my confidence in you. May I cast away the things of this world and may I get to know your heart better. This world focuses on self-centered accomplishments. You focus on life-giving value. You love me because of who you created me to be. And you give me confidence to seek you out in the process of serving you.