God’s Track Record

If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.

I live in a land of hypotheticals, always thinking up the worst-case scenario of what could happen, sometimes envisioning what could be, play by play, in an attempt to brace myself for potential impact. I pray for God to hear, guide, answer, and provide while also wondering what I’ll do if he doesn’t.

When we dwell in the land of hypotheticals, we hyperfocus on the future and suffer from spiritual amnesia—forgetting God’s past faithfulness and bypassing his promises.

And when we suffer from spiritual amnesia, it’s hard to trust God with what tomorrow holds. Our minds become so fixated on making plans that we forget God’s grace and his promises to sustain us—no matter what comes.

If you are having trouble recalling God’s promises, start here:

1. Review God’s track record in Scripture. God has always been faithful; he cannot be otherwise (see Psalm 119:90). Even when we are faithless, he remains faithful—true to his Word, always fulfilling his promises (see 2 Timothy 2:13). The Bible is full of real-life stories that recount his trustworthy character. Read his Word. Write it down. Recite it to your heart. And when spiritual amnesia starts to set in, remember that God has a perfect track record of faithfulness.
2. Cultivate faith in the midst of your feelings. You won’t always feel like God is faithful, but you can know deep in your heart that he will never fail. Train your mind to dwell on what is true, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy (see Philippians 4:8-9). Take every wayward thought captive and make it obey Christ (see 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). While feelings are good indicators of what is happening inside us, they are not always trustworthy guides. God’s truth always trumps feelings. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith gazes forward, not in fear, but in hope of the better land God has promised us—an eternal, unshakable Kingdom in heaven (see Hebrews 12:28).
3. Focus on being faithful today. Tomorrow is not ours to hold; today is what we have been given to steward (see Matthew 6:33-34). James offers this challenge: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15). By faith, we can leave the land of hypotheticals and live confidently, believing God’s promises.

Don’t forget: even though you don’t know what tomorrow will bring, you know the God who will bring you through anything that comes your way.

Word before World God is faithful, even when we are faithless.

Grow in Grace Call to mind three ways God has been faithful in your life. Look forward in faith, knowing God will carry you through whatever you face.