testimonies of God’s goodness

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

One of the really precious gifts of life that comes over time is the wisdom that comes from experience and hindsight. This is especially true for the Christian who knows the Lord and has lived their life learning of and walking out the wisdom God teaches us in His Word.

When you read about King David’s life, you can’t help but think of the way he passionately loved and learned of God from the time he was a boy. He studied what was taught about God by those who preceded him. He learned what Moses had learned and said, “O Lord GOD, You have begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?” (Deuteronomy 3:24 NKJV)

David learned this, but even more importantly, he believed it. Consequently, he walked out things that God had led him to do with great trust in God. He believed that God would always be there to direct, guide, instruct, and bless him in that which he put his hand to for the Lord.

People who passionately love God like David did, often become people who accomplish great and mighty things on the earth. 2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself mighty on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” These things may be invisible to those who don’t know or care about God, but God notices and does not forget as Hebrews 6:10 NIV confirms, “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you, helped His people and continue to help them.”

David wanted to accomplish much for the Lord, and he did, yet his life was anything but problem-free. David had his share of troubles. Some of them were self-inflicted, yet he still took them to the Lord. David calmed his fears again and again by reminding himself of God’s promises. Out of the abundance of David’s heart, we see these words spill forth… “As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble…” (1 Kings1:29) What powerful and faith-filled words! Those are the words of someone who intimately knows and has experienced God’s hand upon his life.

Are those the words that come from your mouth when trouble arises? Do you have confidence that since the Lord is for you, who can be against you? There were times when David spoke these words purely by faith. He seldom ever knew how God would help Him out of trouble. David just trusted that He would! He knew God and knew through experience He could count on God. He had his entire life to look back on and see how God had delivered him from troubled times again and again. He could look back on his life and say, “The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; He is their stronghold in times of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in Him.” (Psalms 37:39-40 NIV) He would also say, “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His descendants begging bread.” (Psalms 37:25 NKJV)

The wisdom and experience that comes from the hindsight of seeing all that God has done over the course of our life is wonderful. It is more than faith. It is the view of experience. But, like David, we all have to start without those experiences and trust in God from the point of faith alone. Is that okay? It’s more than okay because God is true to His Word and His promises and is worthy of all our trust and faith in Him.

You may be in a struggle, and things might not make sense to you at the moment but know this; it’s a glorious thing when you’ve prevailed in faith and are able to look back in time and see how God has been there to deliver you from trouble and help you again and again. When that day comes, then you’ll spill the same words David did, “…As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble…” (1 Kings 1:29 NIV)

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In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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