(Isa 43:19) "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.
There’s just something special about something new. It has a way of lifting our spirits. I can testify when I greet Cheryl at the door after she has gone out shopping. She comes back from the stores with that “glow” about her. (And I get that “whoa!” about me when I think of the receipt totals!). That new piece of clothing, that pair of shoes, or that gadget just has a way of elevating our mood, if even only for awhile.
Israel kind of felt that way. Something new was right around the corner for them. The Lord told them to not remember the former things because He was going to do a new thing for them. Though they were captives in Babylon, God was going to bring them back into their land and bless them and give them a brand-new start. They were to have a new frame of reference. Instead of referring to the Lord as the One who delivered them from Egypt, they would now relate to the Lord as the One who delivered them from Babylon. This was the “something new” they had to look forward to and they got excited.
We all need something to look forward to in life. It gives us hope for a brighter tomorrow. Deep in the heart of man is the need for the expectation of future good. God is a God of all hope (Rom 15:13) and He has a wonderful plan for the rest of our lives (Jer 29:11). Are you looking forward to what God has for you this coming year? Does this hope spring up in you as a gift from God? Are you looking forward to tomorrow or are you lost in the past? You say something died in your life and somehow you were trapped in the time zone of yesteryear? Well, I have good news for you:
(Song 2:11-13) 'For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. 12 'The flowers have already appeared in the land; The time has arrived for pruning the vines, And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. 13 'The fig tree has ripened its figs, And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along!'"
As spring follows winter, so blessings follow setbacks. God loves you and wants to do something new in your life. The beautiful sites and sounds of spring are upon us. Come along. Let’s go out and have some fun in God’s playground. Beat you there!!
Louie