Greater Things Than These: Trusting God for What Comes Next

God has done great things in your life, but your story isn’t finished. Discover how gratitude, faith, and perseverance prepare your heart for what He has planned next.

 

Have you ever looked back over your life and marveled at everything God has brought you through?

Perhaps you’ve experienced an answer to prayer that seemed impossible. Maybe God opened a door you never expected, restored a broken relationship, provided for you during a financial crisis, or carried you through a season when you didn’t know how you would survive.

God has done great things in your life, but your story isn’t finished. Perhaps you’re facing circumstances today that make you wonder what lies ahead. You know God has been faithful in the past. But can you trust Him for your future?

I want to encourage you with a powerful truth from God’s Word: The God who has been faithful to you in the past is still at work in your life today. You can celebrate what He has already done while continuing to believe Him for what is yet to come.

Remember the Great Things God Has Done

One of my favorite passages about God’s faithfulness is Psalm 126. The psalmist remembers a remarkable season when God restored the fortunes of His people, most likely their return from exile in Babylon. Their circumstances had seemed hopeless, but the Lord intervened in a way that filled them with amazement:

“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy” (Psalm 126:1–2 ESV).

What once appeared impossible had become reality. Their deliverance was so extraordinary that even the surrounding nations recognized God’s hand upon them. The people responded with a beautiful testimony:

“The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad” (Psalm 126:3 ESV).

Friend, that’s a wonderful declaration for you to make today. The Lord has done great things for YOU!

Perhaps you haven’t received every answer you’ve been praying for. But when you look back over your life, I believe you’ll find countless reminders of God’s goodness, mercy, and faithfulness. Before you become discouraged about what hasn’t happened, take time to thank Him for what already has.

Gratitude for yesterday’s victories strengthens our faith for tomorrow’s challenges.

What Do You Do When Your Story Isn’t Finished?

There’s something fascinating about Psalm 126 that’s easy to overlook. After celebrating the great things God had already done, the psalmist immediately prayed:

“Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb!” (Psalm 126:4 ESV).

Wait a minute!

Hadn’t God already restored their fortunes? Hadn’t they just finished celebrating His mighty deliverance?

Yes. But their restoration was not yet complete. There were still needs to be met, challenges to overcome, and promises they longed to see fulfilled. Their past victory became the foundation for their next prayer.

Sometimes we imagine that faith means reaching a place where every problem has been solved and every prayer answered. But that’s rarely how life unfolds. We experience one breakthrough only to discover another mountain standing before us. Remembering what God has already done gives us every reason to trust Him again.

When God Turns Dry Places Into Streams

Notice the picture the psalmist chose: “like streams in the Negeb.” The Negeb was a dry region in southern Israel where seasonal rains could transform barren streambeds into rushing waterways. Land that had been parched for months suddenly showed signs of new life.

Perhaps you’re standing in a dry place today. Your marriage may need restoration. Your finances may be under tremendous pressure. You may be praying for healing, the salvation of someone you love, or a new sense of purpose. You know what God has done before, but you desperately need Him to move again.

Take courage!

The same Lord who restored His people is able to bring renewal into the seemingly barren places of your life. His timing may not be yours, and His answers may come differently than you expect. But His faithfulness hasn’t changed.

Don’t allow the dryness of your present circumstances to convince you that God has abandoned you.

Those Who Sow in Tears Will Reap in Joy

Psalm 126 concludes with another extraordinary picture of hope:

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5–6 ESV).

Sowing wasn’t always easy. The farmer had to part with precious seed, placing it into the ground without immediately seeing the results of his labor. Yet he kept sowing because he believed a harvest was coming.

Sometimes the most important seeds we sow are planted during the most difficult seasons of our lives. We keep praying when answers seem delayed. We keep loving when relationships are strained. We keep serving when our efforts go unnoticed. Why? Because we trust the God who brings forth the harvest. As Paul reminded the Galatian believers:

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 ESV).

Your faithful obedience matters to God, even when the results are beyond your sight. Your tears are not wasted, and your prayers are not forgotten. The God who sees you sowing is the Lord of the harvest, and in His time, those who sow in tears will reap with joy.

Why My Heart Still Breaks for the Lost

This passage is especially meaningful to me because of the mission God has entrusted to us through Inspiration Ministries. Years ago, the Lord placed a vision in my heart to use the power of media to penetrate spiritual darkness with the light of the Gospel. At the time, the challenges seemed enormous.

Yet God has been faithful.

Today, through television, digital media, online evangelism, and discipleship resources, we’re reaching people across the nations with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We’ve seen millions respond to the Gospel, and every life changed is another reason to declare, “The LORD has done great things for us” (Psalm 126:3 ESV).

But even as I celebrate what God has accomplished, my heart breaks for those we have yet to reach. There are still people who have never heard the Gospel clearly presented, and families struggling without the hope found in Jesus.

That’s why we must keep sowing. We must continue praying, giving, serving, and sharing the Gospel with compassion and urgency.

You Will See Greater Things Than These

In John 1, Philip introduced Nathanael to Jesus, and Nathanael was skeptical. But Jesus revealed that He already knew him, even describing where Nathanael had been before Philip called him.

Nathanael was astonished! He immediately recognized that Jesus was far more than an ordinary teacher. Then Jesus responded with words that must have startled him:

“You will see greater things than these” (John 1:50 ESV).

Nathanael had barely begun to understand who was standing before him. In the following verse, Jesus spoke of heaven opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. He was pointing Nathanael toward a far greater revelation of His identity as the One who connects heaven and earth.

We must never allow what God has done in the past to limit our expectation of what He can accomplish in the future. Scripture reminds us that God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 ESV). That doesn’t mean our future will always be easier. It does mean God’s power and purposes are greater than the limits of our present understanding.

Our calling is to keep trusting Him, following His Word, and remaining available for whatever He wants to accomplish through our lives.

Give God the Glory, and Keep Moving Forward

Everything we have accomplished through Inspiration Ministries has been possible because of His grace and the faithful prayers and financial partnership of people like you. As the psalmist wrote, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1 ESV).

I never want us to become so comfortable celebrating yesterday’s victories that we stop pursuing tomorrow’s opportunities. There are still souls to reach, lives to restore, believers to disciple, and nations to impact with the Gospel. The same is true in your life.

God may have already brought you through experiences you once thought would overwhelm you. He may have answered prayers that seemed impossible. Perhaps He has opened doors you never imagined would open. Give Him thanks for every victory.

But don’t stop seeking Him. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop sowing. Don’t stop believing that He is still working out His good purposes in your life.

The prophet Habakkuk spoke of a coming day when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14 ESV). That’s the vision that continues to inspire me.

Friend, whatever season you’re facing today, remember this: Your circumstances may change, but God’s faithfulness never does.

The Lord has done great things for us. As we continue walking with Him, we can face the future with grateful hearts and confident expectation.

Greater things are possible, not because of our abilities, but because of the greatness of the God we serve.

God bless you,

David Cerullo

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Jesus mean by “greater things than these” in John 1:50?

In John 1:50, Jesus told Nathanael he would see greater things than the supernatural knowledge Jesus had just demonstrated. Jesus was pointing toward a greater revelation of His identity as the Son of Man. The passage encourages believers to recognize that God’s purposes extend beyond their present understanding.

What is the meaning of Psalm 126?

Psalm 126 celebrates God’s restoration of His people while expressing hope for further deliverance. It teaches that remembering God’s past faithfulness can strengthen our trust in Him during present difficulties. The psalm moves from gratitude and rejoicing to renewed prayer and confidence in God’s provision.

What does the Bible mean by sowing in tears and reaping in joy?

Psalm 126:5–6 uses the image of a farmer sowing seed through hardship while anticipating a future harvest. Spiritually, it encourages believers to remain faithful in prayer, obedience, generosity, and service, even during painful seasons. God sees our faithfulness, and our labor in Him is not in vain.

How can I trust God when my prayers haven’t been answered?

Trusting God during unanswered prayer begins with remembering His faithfulness, continuing in prayer, and holding firmly to His Word. Philippians 4:6–7 encourages believers to bring their concerns to God with thanksgiving. Faith means trusting His wisdom and goodness even when His timing or answers differ from our expectations.

How can Christians prepare for greater things God may want to do?

Christians can prepare by growing in prayer, studying Scripture, practicing obedience, serving others, and remaining faithful with the opportunities God has already provided. Galatians 6:9 encourages believers not to grow weary in doing good because their perseverance matters to God.