We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. (Ps. 44:1)
My favorite football team won the coveted Super Bowl a few years ago. They had a couple good years after that, but then came a miserable season during which they won only two games. It could be explained by the injury of their Hall of Fame quarterback, but that was not satisfactory and it certainly didn’t change the record. Yesterday’s victory cannot erase today’s defeat, and excuses won’t change reality. It was time for a radical rebuilding of the franchise from top to bottom to bring back the team’s winning ways.
Hearing how God worked in the past encourages us and causes us to believe we can experience His powerful presence again. Rehearsing yesterday’s victories feeds our spirits of thanksgiving and praise. However, the miraculous intervention of God’s power and grace on behalf of His people in the past does not satisfy present need. We long to know His deliverance from the enemies that defeat us. We need to experience today the victory that accompanies His powerful presence.
If victorious living is not your present experience and your memory of God’s intervention in the events of your life is a distant reality, perhaps it is time for some radical changes in your life. Salvation and victory over your spiritual enemy needs to be a current reality not a nostalgic story rehearsed from the past.
Look back on what God has done and then enjoy His victory today.
Ken Heer has been a pastor and church leader for fifty-one years and lives in Florida with his wife Nancy. They have three children and nine grandchildren.
