How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. (2 Sam. 7:22)
SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE that the best predictor of future behavior is the past. Possibly they are thinking of their own experience or that of a loved one. Anyone who has lived with a lying spouse or a drug-addicted child can tell you that patterns of behavior are difficult to break. That is true for positive habits too. The sales associate who set last month’s record is likely to be a high performer this month also. A coach who has a track record of producing champions isn’t likely to fail with a fresh crop of recruits. In most ways, the past really is a good indicator of the future.
That is precisely why we have confidence in God and His plans for us. He is a proven deliverer. He has made “a name for himself” by performing miracles, defeating enemies, and conquering territory. God is great. God is good. God is dependable. We know that we can trust God in the future because He has been trustworthy in the past.
When you have difficulty believing in God’s promise for the future, take a look at the “highlight reel” of His achievements in Scripture. God has performed miracles. He has delivered His people from disaster. He has provided for those in need. He has raised the dead. Why shouldn’t you trust Him today?
List ten prayers God has answered for you.
Lawrence W. Wilson is a pastor, author, blogger, and avid cyclist from Fishers, Indiana. He is the author of A Different Kind of Crazy: Living the Way Jesus Lived (Wesleyan Publishing House).
