Isaiah 43:18-19 KJV
[18] Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. [19] Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
We are still in the season of the new. It is easy to focus on the good and great things that happened in the old year, but it is also proper to look ahead to the amazing things that God has in store for the future. If we put the verses above in context, the people of Israel had sinned and had been scattered abroad in exile to nations that were not even as strong as they were. God had repeatedly warned His people about their sins, but they would not listen, and since God is a Righteous God who cannot lie, He applied the principles of His Word and punished Israel for its sin. It is still the same God; the same principles and the same application of judgment for unconfessed sin. It does not matter who you have been in the past, or the mess you have become today; God wants to take off the yoke and burden of past sins from me, and give me a fresh start. The devil may seek to remind me constantly about that past, but like Israel in the verses above, God is set to do a new thing with any life that is given over to Him.
As amazing as the promises of God are, He does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. He wants me to consider all His promises, weigh the character and consistency of the God who makes the promise, and then take the right decision to surrender to Him. It has to be very clear to me that I do not have the wisdom or the power to predict what tomorrow holds, with any measure of certainty, and this is why I need the help and support of the God who owns and holds the present and the future in His hands. He charges me to forget the past because the past can have such a hold over me that it can prevent me from seeing the amazing things God has laid out for me. He charges me to open my eyes with His help and see the great things that are presently working out His purpose and plan. The old, no matter how attractive or nice, is history. The future is the untapped goldmine of God's power, and there is no end to the possibilities that are available in and through God.
A few of them are laid out in the verses above. God is able to make a way in the wilderness, as well as rivers in the desert. To 'make' something is to create what was not in existence before; to make a thing that has not been seen before is a strong testament to the creative power and ability of the One making it. What makes this even more interesting is the fact the evidence of His creative power is seen in unusual places and environments. Who makes a way in the wilderness, if not a God who can fetch water with a basket because He wants to render the bucket ineffective. He made an iron axe-head float in water, and then made a donkey speak, all to prove that He can change any situation to align with His will. Who makes rivers in the desert, if not a God who can change a man's destiny, even in the face of his negative name. He is still very much in the business of changing lives, as well as situations. Let us trust Him with our today and tomorrow, and allow Him work that which is His perfect will. God's time of favour is here.
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