Jesus Over 2020Sample

God’s track record

Have you ever played the “what-if“ game? This is how you play: you hear some potentially bad news. Then you create “what-if” scenarios based on the potential bad news. “What is potentially the worst thing that can happen? What if this is as bad as I can imagine?“

We turn from being people who follow God, into people who fear everything. Bad outcomes are our expectation. We think Murphy’s Law is a real law: “if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong”. 

A single “what-if“ question drives this fearful way of life. What if God isn’t good?

Our greatest fight as Jesus followers is in tightening our grip on God. Period. When all voices scream, "Panic!", the fight is to remember that there is a God and He is good!

Check out this description of someone who wins this fight from Psalm 112:7-8 ESV:

He is not afraid of bad news;

   his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,

   until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

One major way to strengthen our grip on God is to check His track record. 

Remember Israel, God's people? God brought His people out of Egypt. God preserved them through plagues. God divided the sea.

And that’s just a start. Romans 8:32 tells us, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

God gave us His son—the ultimate good gift. If He went as far as giving us Jesus, there is no length He won’t go to be good to us. When we feel smothered by the burden of bad news, we must remember Jesus, the ultimate display of God’s goodness. 

What if we looked for what God has done, rather than what God is not doing. What if we looked for the progress we are making rather than focusing on the pandemic we are enduring? Let’s do that.

Questions:

Have you given into fear? 

Where do you need to remind yourself of God’s goodness?

How can you thank God today for the good He has given you?