Rearview Lessons: Trusting God’s Past Faithfulness to Guide the Future
I realize that much of my life has been spent looking in the rearview mirror. I remember when my dad taught me how to drive. He would often test whether I was paying attention to what was behind me as well as what was ahead. Sometimes he would cover the rearview mirror and suddenly ask, “How many cars are behind us?”
The first time he asked, I failed. I hadn’t been paying attention at all to what was happening behind me; I was only focused on the road ahead. That day, he taught me an important lesson: being fully aware requires both perspectives, forward and backward.
Driving – and life – requires balance. We prepare for what lies ahead, but we also learn from what we’ve already passed. As the old saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20.” Often, only once something is in the rearview mirror do we see it clearly.
This principle shows up beautifully in Scripture. The first time the word zakar[1] – “remember” – appears in the Bible is in Genesis 8. It tells us that God remembered Noah in the ark and acted. It’s as if God, the great driver of history, looked into the rearview mirror, saw Noah faithfully following Him, and responded. The rain stopped. The waters receded. The ark came to rest.
Then, in Genesis 9, God makes an everlasting covenant with Noah, sealing it with the sign of a rainbow: “I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh” (Genesis 9:15).[2]
This shows us God is also looking ahead. He will make provision for sin and the need for the world’s cleansing, all while protecting and providing for Noah and his family. This all makes perfect sense because He is a God who dwells in the past, present, and future.
This is why I love the rhythm of the Jewish holidays, festivals, and holy days. They call us to zakar – to remember God’s past faithfulness. We see His faithfulness in the stories of Scripture and in the covenants He established with the Jewish people. These covenants were binding. The Lord Himself set the terms and conditions of each – from the Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic, to the New Covenant.
When we study God’s Word, we are reminded of His character and how powerfully He has acted. He zakar’s me. He remembers me and acts on my behalf as well.
The same God who remembered Noah is the Almighty who remembers me. That truth propels me to examine His past faithfulness in my own life. When I remember, it gives me the confidence to move ahead into an unknown future. A future where God is present and has already made provision for what I will need.
When I look in the rearview mirror, I see countless moments where God has proven His constant care and love for me. My husband often reminds me, “God’s past faithfulness encourages my present trust.”
Like Noah, we are called to trust both in God’s remembrance of the past and in His promises for the future. He is the God who remembers His people, and He is also the God who makes a way forward.
So maybe the next time you glance in your rearview mirror, let it be more than a driving habit. Let it be a spiritual practice – a reminder to zakar, to remember God’s faithfulness, and to move forward in hope, knowing He goes before you.
Written by Kori, Life in Messiah staff
How has God shown His faithfulness to you in the past?
What current struggle do you need to hand over to Him, knowing God remembers you and goes before you?
The Fall High Holidays are fast approaching; learn more about them here and see how God is faithful to the Jewish people, not only in the past, but also today, and into the glorious future.