DEVOTION – DAY 523

Isaiah 43:18-19 “God Is Doing A New Thing”

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

As we celebrate a new lunar year, it is good to think about these verses. Isaiah 43 reminds us that God made the nation of Israel as surely as He had created the first man and woman (Isaiah 43:1). God chose Israel to serve him in a special way and He declared that He is the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, their Savior (Isaiah 4:3). Despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, God is faithful and in vs18-19, He tells His people to forget what was in the past, to repent and turn to Him. God promises that He will do a new thing. He will make a way in the wilderness, and streams in the wasteland. In the same way, the old lunar year is behind us. There is nothing we can do to change the past. God is reminding us that we are to turn to Him and look ahead for He is doing a new thing in our lives. He will make us fruitful for His purposes if we are willing to obey and submit to His Will for us. 

We know someone who faced many challenges in the last year. He had to change jobs. He faced job insecurity. He faced financial challenges. He faced health issues for him and his family. He was also in a spiritual wilderness for a time. But God is faithful and God assures Him to look ahead for He will do a new thing in his life if he is willing to stay close to, and obey the Lord. He will once again be fruitful for the Lord.  

We know another person had a sudden and serious health problem. It led him to be hospitalized for a few months and he had to be dependent on others. This health crisis caused him to cling to the Lord. He realized that in the past, he had placed God in the background of his life as he chose a lifestyle that pleased himself. His health crisis caused him to reassess his priorities and to be dependent on the Lord. The health crisis could be seen as being used by God to wipe away the past bad habits and lifestyle choices of this man, and enable him to start again with something new that God had planned for him. He is going through rehabilitation. Each small progress in his return to independent movement is testament to God’s faithfulness that He will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. We thank God.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we praise you for you are Good and Faithful. Thank you for your promises that you will do a new thing, and that you will make away ahead for us. We are thankful for this assurance of your presence and help in whatever lies ahead in the new lunar year. Please help us to obey and submit to you always. We pray this in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. How have you strayed away from God in the past? Have you done some things that you regretted? 
  2. Will you forget the past, repent and turn to the Lord and trust that He will do a new thing in your life?
  3. What changes in your lifestyle choices will you make to ensure that you will stay close to God and do His Will for you?
  4. What are some things you can do for the Lord in order that you bear more fruit for Him?