Hindsight

Isaiah 46:9–10 NKJV

9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’

There is no God like our God. Our God knows the future. He knows what is going to come. And He speaks those things and declares them before they come to pass. He speaks from a place of knowledge. He speaks from a place of understanding.

As followers of Jesus, we can develop an assurance and a confidence that God is with us, speaking to us, and leading us.

If you have been following God for even just a little while, you have probably tried to step out in faith towards what He was leading you. And as you did that, you probably were not certain that you did the right thing or made the right decision, but you believed that it was God speaking to you. And maybe it was later that confirmation came and that things were made clear.

Illustration: Staying in Jacksonville after being accepted to Bible College. “I didn’t tell you to go to that Bible college.” Going to community college to learn computer programming. Working on a Nuclear Warfare Defense Project. Joining the staff of River of Life with no set job description. Then being ordained. Then leading here in Virginia. From hearing God to thinking that I was going the wrong direction (at God’s leading) to realizing that God has brought me to the place where He intended all along.

Faith pleases God (cf. Hebrews 11.6). When we lack the confidence of faith and fail to follow God’s leading, we can actually quench—shut down—the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5.19). This grieves Him because we are not walking in our purpose according to His will (cf. Ephesians 4.30). This becomes even more serious when we remember that we will give an account to God for our lives (Romans 14.12).

When we learn to develop prophetic hindsight, where we look back to move forward, we will see how God has led us in the past and have boldness to move into the future.

Developing the Conviction of Faith

Hebrews 11:1 AMP

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

God wants us to have assurance and conviction that we hear Him and are following Him. What a lot of Christians end up doing is guess or leave to chance that they are hearing God or that He is going to work it out somehow.

Some people just go around doing what they feel is right or just do what they want to do. And after they do that, they pray for God to bless them, even if that was not what He said for them to do. This is dangerous:

Ezekiel 13:1–3 NKJV

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ ” 3 Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

We have to be careful that we do not “prophesy out of our own hearts” and follow our own spirit and imagination. People who do this often pursue good things that aren’t necessary God things. (Not all money is blessed money. Not all so-called promotions are actually promotions from God. Not all open doors…etc.)

What if we could learn to operate with prophetic hindsight, where we drew insight from what God has said and has done and allowed that to help inform how we walk with Him in the present?

God instructed Joshua to do this:

Joshua 4:4–7 NKJV

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

God was teaching the people through Joshua to draw from their history with Him to inspire their faith as they walk with Him in the present.

We already practice this principle in the natural with anniversaries and birthday celebrations. We remember good things and celebrate victories. In the same way, when we look back and remember what God has done in our lives, our church, and Christianity as a whole we will find encouragement and faith to step boldly when God speaks. If He did it before, we can have faith for Him to do it again!

Practicing Prophetic Hindsight

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

In this prophetic declaration from God to Israel, we discover a new way to look at walking with God and having confidence and assurance in faith.

The word translated as future is the Hebrew word ʾaḥărît. This word has a general meaning of after, later, behind. According to H.W. Wolff, the Hebrew conception of time is like that of a man rowing a boat. He sees where he has been and backs into the future (TWOT, p34).

With this understanding, let us look at an experience that the disciples had while following Jesus and see what we can learn.

Mark 4:35–41 NKJV

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

The following three elements of prophetic hindsight will help us grow in our faith and confidence that we are hearing God and will serve as guideposts that we are on the right track.

Look to Jesus

The most important element of following God and confirming that you hear His voice is to look to Jesus.

In this story, where was Jesus? He was in the stern, or the back, of the boat. He was where you steer the boat from.

Notice also that Jesus wasn’t worried if they were going to get to their destination…He was asleep on a pillow!

We need to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12.2). He never steers us wrong. He knows where we are going. He knows the path to take to get us there. The Captain of your salvation is in the back of the boat steering you to the place where you need to go (Hebrews 2.10)! Just like an Olympic rowing team, He is shouting commands and leading you forward while you row and keep the boat moving.

When you are looking to see if you have heard God right and if you are on the path stop and ask, “Where is Jesus in this?”

Look to the Past

As we saw with God’s counsel to Joshua, we need to look back to the places where God worked in our lives so that we can strengthen and encourage our faith to move forward.

What did Jesus tell the disciples? That they were going to the other side. They needed to hold fast to His words in order to have faith that they were going to make it in the midst of the storm.

Psalm 105:17–19 NKJV

17 He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave. 18 They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him.

Like the disciples, Joseph had a word from God. But until that time the word came to pass, he was tested. As he held on to the word of the LORD he was refined and purified and proven faithful.

How did he do that? He remembered. He remembered the LORD in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39.9). He remembered the promises of God in the prison (Genesis 40.8). And he remembered the LORD when he stood before Pharoah (Genesis 41.16).

And because he remembered what God had done and what God had promised, he endured.

What are the memorial stones that you have set up in your life?

What are the promises that God has spoken to you? How has God moved in your past? He is the same yesterday, today, and forever…if He did it before, He will do it again. God is faithful. When you are unsure look to how God has moved before. Look to the word that He has spoken over you and His word will carry you through as He brings you into His promises (cf. Exodus 19.3-6).

Look to the Future

2 Peter 3:13–14 NKJV

13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

Everything God speaks to us is to draw us closer to Him. When the storms rise up we need to look toward the horizon.

What God has said, will it not come to pass (Ezekiel 24.14)?

Focus on the outcome that God has declared. Jesus is coming and His reward is with Him (Revelation 22.12). Whether He comes literally or figuratively, we will arrive at the destination He declares.

Stand on the word of God. Stand on the promises of God. Stand on the history of God’s faithfulness. And you will see the reward of your faith (cf. Hebrews 11.6)!

Conclusion

Following God with prophetic hindsight allows us to look back and see where we have already “got it right” in our hearing God. We have seen God move in our lives as we heard His voice and responded in faith. Every time we recall what God has done, we gain confidence and assurance that God is with us and that He is for us.

This practice enables us to always move forward with confidence and assurance of faith.

Look to Jesus. Remember that He knows the end from the beginning.

Look to the Past. Remember how God has already moved in your life according to His word.

Look to the Future. God has promised to take you to the other side. Keep your eyes focused on the word that He has spoken and He will bring you there.

Luke 1:37 NKJV

For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Pray: For God to grant us confidence that we are hearing His word and following Him as we look unto Jesus and His example, as we look to the past where we did hear His voice and He did move powerfully, and as we look toward the good future that He has promised.