Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 1 Samuel 17:37

 

Here David exemplifies a habit we would all do well to emulate. It’s the habit of intentionally trusting God for today’s victory on the strength of past victories. Put differently, it’s the habit of benefitting from your experience with God.

My dear friend, experience-especially evaluated experience-matters a great deal! “Evaluated experience” is about intentionally drawing lessons from what you go through in life. It’s about seeking to draw inspiration, motivation and encouragement from your past victories. Such was David’s strategy. Although we learnt previously that faithful saints are not slaves of the past, yet that doesn’t mean they cannot learn from history.

Some Christians are of the mistaken view that experience doesn’t count in spiritual things. How wrong! Of course, experience counts, for the Bible states categorically that God does not want His people to forget what He has done for them. It says we must count our blessings and forget not His benefits (Psalm 103:2-5). Compare also what the Lord says to the Israelites about how they should remember their miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage (see Deuteronomy 11:2-7).

Today let us stop and consider what the Lord has done. Let us be inspired by the great things He has done for us. Let hope and faith arise. Let your gratitude for the awesome blessings you’ve already received drive away all fear, anxiety and grumbling. Count your blessings. Remember that He is the same God yesterday, today and forever. He never changes.. When you remember what the Lord has done, you can never go back.

Pastor Josh