This morning I had an interesting thought I'd like to share.

First, some background. To get to work every day, I drive ten minutes to a park & ride (a big parking lot where buses come) and then take the bus the rest of the way into the city. My fear every morning is that I will miss the bus. I take the last bus from that parking lot, and if I miss it, I'm forced to take less optimal routes from different places (which I sometimes forget to take in the afternoon resulting in being stranded). Yes, it's a fear. There's a closer park & ride I could use but I don't use it for several reasons that are off-topic.

This morning, in my rear-view mirror, I saw the bus I was going to take pull off to a side road to the stop right before the one I get on. So, as I drove the last two miles to my stop, I knew two things without a doubt: One, I wasn't going to be late, but two, the topic of this blog, I knew the bus was going to come.

And then I had the most peculiar realization: regarding the second assurance, seeing the bus behind me didn't encourage me very much! The bus has a nearly-flawless record for arriving. I think twice in three years has it not showed up at all. That's a success rate of 99.8%. Nevertheless, while standing for the bus, whenever it is one minute late, I wonder if it will arrive at all. Today was different, though. Since I had seen the bus approaching, when the bus was one minute late today, I was completely confident that it would arrive.

But why? And why was I not that encouraged at the time I was driving?

To the latter, I think it came down to the difference between a 99.8% certainty and a 100% certainty (excluding the unlikely possibility of the bus breaking down between stops). I didn't really need that assurance, since the bus nearly always shows up. It's like your friend in London telling you not to worry because the sun just rose where she's at. Gee, um, thanks?

Despite the bus' success rate, irrational fears that the bus won't show up mount when I am placed on the line (e.g., I have an early meeting at work). The bus' reliability suddenly diminishes to the point where I'm doubting I'll be able to get to work at all. But sure enough, the bus arrives late.

But today was different. I saw the bus coming, so I waited in full and cool expectation, and arrive it did.

I'm reminded of the Word of God. Fortune tellers that determine the future from their "spirit guides" are never 100% accurate, but whatever God says will happen cannot fail to not happen. Look at all the prophecy in the Old Testament fulfilled in the Old Testament. Look at the prophecy of the Messiah and its fulfillment in Jesus. God's prophecy is numerous. Not once has He been wrong. His success rate is 100.0000000%. That's way better than my bus!

Why, then, do we doubt the promises of God? Why do we ask God for signs? Why do we wish we could see a glimpse of heaven just beyond death's door? Why do skeptics ask for irrefutable proof of God's existence? We have Jesus, His righteousness, His payment for our sins upon the cross, and His resurrection demonstrating His command over death and our future glorification. We've seen the bus on it's way, yet we still doubt!

We don''t need Jesus' resurrection. We have the testimony of the prophets (Luke 16:31). God's success rate is 100%. Even still, the Father provided for us extra proof of His promises by raising His Son, so that we will be without doubt, confident, and full of assurance in what we know is and is to come.