Behold I Do A New Thing!

So it’s a new year! Lot’s of reflection on the battles and victories of the past year. This new year might have been met with mixed feelings of disappointment for what did not go as planned and excitement at the prospect of what the new year may hold. For some persons it’s a time to set goals for the year, new year’s resolutions. While it is good to have goals, I have found that these resolutions can often create pressure and anxiety in a way that God never intended. Furthermore, sometimes they become a source of disappointment at the end of the year when we realize they remain unmet. For me, I am shifting focus. Instead of making resolutions to guide this new year, I am choosing to move forward with He who has the best plans for my future. My favorite scripture Jeremiah 29:11 assures me that God knows the plans He has for me and that those plans are good and connected to not just my future but also the end of my journey. No resolution that I make will ever be as comprehensive and fulfilling as those plans. So why not just ask God to set the plans for this new year?

In this nugget we will examine Isaiah 43 with some emphasis on verses18 -19:

^” Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert”.

Isaiah 43 is set in the time of the Babylonian Exile. It was a dark period in the lives of the children of Judah. At that time they felt that there was very little hope. Who could blame them! Most of the words from the prophet contained in the first 39 chapters of the book of Isaiah were of judgement; making hope seem distant. They had gone astray from God indulging in sinful acts, idolatry, and rebellion against God. The prophet was tasked with warning them of the impending judgement and the consequences for their rebellion.

After a series of warnings of the impending judgement, God sends them a reminder of whose they are and declares His love and promise to them. The chapter opens with a reminder to the children of Judah that although they have gone astray, they belong to Him and that He has redeemed [bought, saved, restored] them:

“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, Jacob, and formed you, Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1).

This chapter did not cancel the judgement they would face for their sins, but it was a promise to sit with them in the mess as they face judgement. Some may ask, why not just let them off the hook and spare them this judgement? How can God reign judgement on those He loves? But I ask instead, why not? When a child does something that is contrary to the rules and expectations of the home, are there not consequences?

Hebrews 12: 6-7 outlines this very premise:

“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth [corrects] , and scourgeth [whip] every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” (Hebrews 12: 6 -7).

Admittedly, chastening can be harsh, painful and difficult. But in the end, if we take time to reflect and learn from the harsh experience, then we will learn lessons that protect us from future mistakes that are far worse than those of the past. I believe it was with this perspective in mind that both the impending punishment and promise were declared by the prophet Isaiah.

To take it one step further, I would say that scourging without an end is not just harsh; it is deadly. If God only reigned judgement without being committed to the process of reforming the children of Judah, then it would be deadly. So when He says to them “When you pass through waters, I will be with you; through rivers, you shall not be swept away. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, nor will flames consume you” (Isaiah 43:2), two things are certain. One, they will experience scourging. Two, God will be right there with them. Note the scripture says when not if, and will not might.

When I was a classroom teacher whenever I gave a student a homeroom detention, I had to sit with them until it was over. At the end of the detention I would have a conversation with the student that not only reinforced the reason for the detention, but also encouraged the student to do better. I would always try to restore hope by reminding him of his potential to be great.

God in a similar manner wanted to discipline the children of Judah but not with the intention of keeping them in permanent exile. As any loving parent would, God reassured them of His love:

“Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you and nations in exchange for your life” (Isaiah 43:4).

God also sent them a word to remind them that after the scourging was over – at the end of detention – He would do a new thing.

This scripture still applies to us today. I know we like to embrace the part about the new thing, but let’s reflect on it against the backdrop of the old thing that prompted God to first chasten and scourge the children of Judah, and then declare that He would do a new thing. If the old thing was pleasing to God and functioning optimally, then there would be no need for a new thing.

Some of us like the children of Judah, have been going through it. Things have been difficult, we can’t seem to catch a break. For some of us, the struggles followed us into the new year, while for others these are new challenges that have come up just this year. Could there be a purpose behind the pain? Is it the scourging of God? What is it that we are to learn from this experience as we go through the fire or the waters as the children of Judah did? Hebrews 12:11 reminds us that:

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it”

As we try to make sense of the difficulties we are facing, let us prayerfully ask God to help us to navigate the pain and see the purpose behind it. The chastening of God is never pain without a purpose. God is always with us even in the mess. The same promise He made to the children of Judah is ours today. He is with us through the difficulties – the fire and the water – and His love remains unchanged. God desires to partner with us on life’s journey and do new and wonderful things in our lives, but we must give up the old things.

Let us ask ourselves, what are some of the things from the past year that need to be thrown out and replaced with a new thing? I am not talking about clothes, furniture and other materials things that have become worn out and need replacing. I am referring to our behaviours and habits that do not align with God’s plans and purpose:

• Do we have any idols? Have we prioritized our friends, spouse, children, job, car or even a phone more than we do God?

• How is our prayer life? Is it on life support or is it healthy? Do we simply pray for what we want without listening to hear what God wants? Do we fast even when we are not in desperate need of something relating to our life – job, school, health, finances, family?

These are just a few of the old things that we can reflect on and make a decision to ask God to get rid of.

If we should honestly reflect on the previous year and our journey with God, many of us would admit there were failures and inconsistencies in our relationship with God. Like Judah, we have walked in disobedience, prioritized the wrong things and sinned along the way. This was of course not how we wanted the year to go. Afterall many of us were resolute that we would be closer to God and build stronger prayer lives, fast more often, volunteer and serve in our churches and community. But as life got busy and we got comfortable with our old ways, many of our new year’s resolutions got set aside. Thankfully, partnering with God to do new things is not bound to the start of a new year.

Indeed, God wants to do a new thing. But first, we must must get rid of the old thing that has not produced the fruits of righteousness. He wants to “open a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters” (Isaiah 43:16). It is time to let go of past mistakes and sins. God is our redeemer. He is ready to forgive, “Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not” (Isaiah 43: 18). We must empty ourselves of the old things and make room for the new. If we do not get rid of the old thing then we cannot accept the new. As we move forward this year let us examine ourselves, get rid of the old thing and allow the new thing to spring forth in our lives.