Whitney sought a foothold and pulled herself up, then changed her hand grips and found another foothold above the previous one. Slowly she inched her way up the 40-foot climbing wall. Though only her first attempt, the four-year-old showed no fear.
Dad recorded the feat, and the video is available on YouTube.
We marvel that such a young child could climb with such confidence. But Whitney knew she was tethered to a rope held secure by the belayer, who also gave wise advice as she climbed. And Dad offered encouragement the whole way up and down.
When she touched ground again, Whitney’s broad smile indicated her delight in conquering the wall.
And the preschooler’s experience proves:
Security, wisdom, and encouragement
contribute to confidence.
What held true during that preschooler’s rock-climb holds true for us in life. We need a strong Belayer to keep us secure, wise instruction to help us succeed, and inspiring encouragement to help us persevere.
Security
First, our Belayer is God himself. He holds us fast and will never let us go.[1]
And just as Whitney’s security did not depend on her gripping the rope, our security of help, strength, and heaven-to-come doesn’t originate with our grip on God, but his forever grip on us.[2] What we cannot do for ourselves, he has accomplished.[3]
Just as Whitney put her trust in the belayer, we must actively trust God to be our lifeline.
Wisdom
A short distance up the wall, Whitney glanced toward the floor. The belayer wisely advised, “Don’t look down, Whitney! Keep looking up!”
She didn’t look down until the belayer gave her instructions for the descent.
God also offers wise advice through his Word. He wants us to know:
- True wisdom comes from him.
- It begins with reverence and humility before God, to be in awe of his holiness, his power over all things–including life and death.
- He gladly provides this gift to all who ask.
- Whoever heeds his wisdom will dwell secure.[4]
Encouragement
Last, we have a Father who encourages us, just as Whitney’s dad encouraged her. Again, what we need is found in scripture—passages such as these that inspire hope:
- “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8).
- “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:11).
- “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart” (Psalm 27:13-14).
Of course there are hundreds more, assuring us that:
When I allow fearful thoughts to whirl in my mind, I’m really asking, Is God going to see me through this?
How much better to affirm that God will hold me fast until he’s ready to take me home to heaven. He will provide the wisdom and guidance I need for what lies ahead, just as he has in the past. And His Word will continue to offer encouragement, to inspire and strengthen.
Truth leads to confidence.
What contributes to your confidence when facing challenging situations? Please share in the comment section below!
[1] Psalm 37:23-24
[2] https://www.seeyouinheaven.life/secure-forever-in-christ/
[3] Romans 8:3-4
[4] Proverbs 2:7; 1:7, James 1:5; Proverbs 1:33
Photo credits: http://www.youtube.com; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.flickr.com (Noah Berger); http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.canva.com; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org.
From the Inside Out 
What a marvelous reminder, Nancy, that God goes with us to guide and lead even in the most uncertain of times. That theme is threaded through my most recent posts as I recount our recent adventures while traveling to see family.
And I loved the video you shared, too. The little girl looks a SO much like my middle granddaughter, Savannah, when she was that age – wow! She sure did learn an important life lesson, didn’t she?
Blessings, my friend!
Thank you, Martha. I need to refresh my spirit often with the affirmations that: God WILL guide me through the troubles that may lie ahead and empower me to persevere. Through it all, he WILL provide peace and joy in spite of circumstances. Hallelujah! / How delightful Whitney reminded you of Savannah! I believe there are more videos of Whitney on YouTube–you can watch them and pretend!😁
I like the image of God as belayer. I tried rock climbing just once (because I’m terrified of heights) and halfway up I missed a handhold. As instructed I yelled “FALLING!” and the belayer held fast. We can cry out to God with confidence knowing that He holds the end of the rope that will keep us from falling. Thanks for this encouragement.
First of all, kudos to you Robert for tackling a rock wall, even though you’re terrified of heights. You know from experience how important the belayer is to a beginner rock-climber! Praise God he is our belayer in life, who will always keep us from falling.
I thought about your final question Nancy, and I think Christian confidence is bolstered by the belief a grander plan is in place than what lies immediately ahead. The victory is not in the immediate battle. In human terms you could say it’s “putting things in perspective”. All IS well, not all “will be” well.
Oh, that’s a wonderful addition, Dave, to our list of confidence-builders. Thank you! If our faith is strong in our perfect, all-wise, all-powerful God, then we will trust in his perfect plan, especially knowing the victory has already been won (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)! Encouraging truth to keep in mind.
What a great reminder and lesson! I know my confidence is straightened when I stop focusing on fear and remember who I am and whose I am.
Thank you, Jean. You are so right–we accomplish nothing worthwhile by allowing fear to run rampant through our minds. SO much more beneficial to develop the habits of gratitude, worship, and praise. Thank you for this valuable addition to our confidence-building list!
Security, wisdom, and confidence in knowing my Heavenly Father is in control gives me peace. Thank you, Nancy!
Should have read encouragement gives me the confidence
Amen, Pam–when our security is in God, when we seek to live by his wisdom and keep ourselves encouraged through his Word, we do experience more of his peace. Praise him for all this and more that he does for us!
Great reminder of God’s care for us. I have always found his word to be the source of strength in time of difficuly.
AMEN to that, Barb! I’m so thankful for strong teaching over the years, and the desire God placed in my heart to study the Bible on my own. The more familiar we are with the scriptures, the greater source of strength they become.
I’m smiling here as I read about Whitney … I’m sure she must be related to our grandkids because they took to those climbing walls like it wasn’t a big deal at all. And yes, we cheer and shout encouragement and always have a ball watching them.
And I know for sure that they didn’t get this skill from their grandmother.
Happy weekend to you, dear Nancy.
So glad to make you smile, LInda! Two thoughts in response to your comments: 1) Our kids/grandkids teach us SO many life-lessons, don’t they? and 2) There’s much joy in being God’s voice of encouragement to others. What a privilege he’s given us!
Hi Nancy,
Look up and leave the ground below. It’s good to know God’s got the words of encouragement and the other end of the rope.
In Christ,
Gary
Amen, Gary and well said. We can leave the ground with confidence!
Have a great week. Let me know our light dine for Jesus.
I had never heard of the word ‘belayer’ before. It is a perfect analogy of who Christ is and what He does for us. Looking up the definition I found:
1. Mountaineering – a person who controls the safety rope for a climber.
2. Nautical – a person who turns a rope around a cleat, or belaying pin, to make it hold tight.
He is my safety net and holds me tight. I need to keep reminding myself that all of our battles (personal and political) have already been won. That gives me confidence! Thanks, Nancy!
I had never heard the word “belayer” either, prior to writing this post. Thank you for adding those definitions, Cheri, which offer more images of God’s work in our lives!
I love this, Nancy! My favorite verse was one that God gave me years ago when we were newly dealing with Aaron’s Epilepsy diagnosis, had just moved back to the states from 6 years in Germany, and were adjusting to home schooling. God gave me Psalm 18:29: “With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.” Your blog is perfect for this verse! I have had plenty of walls in my life…still do…but with God I can scale each one. He is my Belayer. Thank you for always being such a blessing to me.
Wow–that verse IS perfect for this blog post–and also for that chapter of your lives you described above. What a stressful time for you! Praise God he IS our Belayer, especially when the challenges increase.
God’s got me. Beyond that I can only look around and speculate about life. A great story. 4 year olds make better rock climbers than me. I have seen ropes break (because the were too small for the job, or had become rotton or had nicks in them.) My trust level sees the storm too much of the time.
Sometimes I do too, Gary. One example: when the to-do list grows long and time seems short. I have to keep reminding myself that God has seen me through numerous such episodes; he’ll see me though again!
I am truly blessed by your blogs
Oh, thank you, Carolyn! Praise God they minister to you. That warms my heart!
What a beautiful picture of the trust of the Son of God in His Heavenly Father that now lives and breathes inside of us and we can repeatedly sink into as our flesh fails us. Oh how beautiful is the revealing of the glory of our Father’s grip, wise teaching and encouragement for us and through us for others. I love how you focused on that grip being God’s and how when fear assailed the little girl, as she chose to look down toward logic and reason and not up toward God’s sovereign control, how the wisdom of her Father speaking to her heart caught her and set her upon the Rock, to complete the task set before her with quiet confidence.
Thank you, Anna. What a glorious thought you highlighted: our Heavenly Father lives and breathes inside us! It’s such an incredulous reality. He’s ever-present to protect, guide, and provide for us. Hallelujah!
BTW I just realized your post is such a precious answer to prayer. My daughter started high school this year and is experiencing a lot of anxiety and I’ve been praying so much for God to speak His wisdom and encouragement to her in a personal and intimate way that she “gets it”. I just realized how perfect this is for her. She’s an avid climber – has amazed people at her confidence, agility and speed on the wall. It’s like she becomes a different person on that wall. Wow: thank You, Jesus! Now help me to share this with her in Your Way and Words for her. Amen.
Oh my goodness, Anna! Praise God for steering me to that video of Whitney that just might help your daughter rely more consistently on God, his wisdom and encouragement. Talk about God engineering circumstances! I’m praying with you that she’d become as confident in her faith as she is on the rock wall.
Nancy,
Love the scriptures you quoted under encouragement. God always has a grip on me and not the other way around! Looking back to all the valleys God has walked me through gives me confidence. Great post.
Blessings,
Bev
Oh yes, remembering God’s amazing deeds of the past certainly strengthens confidence for today (although sometimes I need reminders to remember)! So glad the scriptures under encouragement were meaningful for you, Bev.
What a precious child! ❤
I guess what helps me is realizing how precious I am to Jesus, even at my age, and to keep that "belt of truth" securely in place. He won't let me fall. If I slip or stumble, He'll pick me up, forgive me, and encourage me to keep climbing.
He makes my feet like hind's feet and sets me on high places. 😉
Love the way you wove scripture here, Annie–from Ephesians to Psalms! And you are so right: we are precious to God–his special possession (1 Peter 2:9). He’ll never let us go, never give up on us!