A Devo From Scot - Psalm 107, Part One
It is often said that the most reliable predictor of future behavior is past behavior. But as a believer and follower of Jesus, I sure hope there are alternative scenarios. For me at least. What do you think? You see, there is both a heavy difficulty with this principle and a delightful security to it. It just depends on who you attribute it to.
For those on the path of Christian discipleship, embedded and entrenched in the daily struggle with holiness, grace, sin and freedom, I know there are other principles that are more true. If past and future are unchangeably linked (and they are not), then I’m dismayed. I pray that I am able to break out of the dirt-road ruts of past behavior. I see and experience the reality regularly. Forgiveness, repentance, confession, community and all manner of spiritual disciplines are the tools that fight in the other direction.
But for God, well… wait just a minute. He is eternal, and has always been perfectly just, holy and loving. I like that the best predictor of God’s future actions are His past actions. That is actually quite comforting and poetic. This is the theme of Psalm 107. I invite you to read it today in its entirety. Hopefully you’ll find enough time to do it twice.
As you begin this new week, I pray you’ll find time to mentally catalog moments of God’s blessing, clear action, answered prayer, protection and provision. These are always clearer in the rearview mirror for some reason, so it will take some mental and emotional commitment to recount what is invariably a surprisingly long list. It’ll be best done on a long drive without the radio or in an extended conversation with a close friend, spouse, parent or child.
Once you’ve done that, consider two things. First - you are different. You are in God’s hands now and trust Him today more than you have in the past. You’ve changed because He has changed you. Second - God has not changed. He is just as reliable. And this is the real kicker - He is just as active, right now in this moment, than He has ever been.
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting… Let us give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindess and for His wonders to the sons of men.”
For those on the path of Christian discipleship, embedded and entrenched in the daily struggle with holiness, grace, sin and freedom, I know there are other principles that are more true. If past and future are unchangeably linked (and they are not), then I’m dismayed. I pray that I am able to break out of the dirt-road ruts of past behavior. I see and experience the reality regularly. Forgiveness, repentance, confession, community and all manner of spiritual disciplines are the tools that fight in the other direction.
But for God, well… wait just a minute. He is eternal, and has always been perfectly just, holy and loving. I like that the best predictor of God’s future actions are His past actions. That is actually quite comforting and poetic. This is the theme of Psalm 107. I invite you to read it today in its entirety. Hopefully you’ll find enough time to do it twice.
As you begin this new week, I pray you’ll find time to mentally catalog moments of God’s blessing, clear action, answered prayer, protection and provision. These are always clearer in the rearview mirror for some reason, so it will take some mental and emotional commitment to recount what is invariably a surprisingly long list. It’ll be best done on a long drive without the radio or in an extended conversation with a close friend, spouse, parent or child.
Once you’ve done that, consider two things. First - you are different. You are in God’s hands now and trust Him today more than you have in the past. You’ve changed because He has changed you. Second - God has not changed. He is just as reliable. And this is the real kicker - He is just as active, right now in this moment, than He has ever been.
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting… Let us give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindess and for His wonders to the sons of men.”