Remember Not The Former Things

Fourteen years ago, I found myself sitting in a church (College Church of Christ), to be exact. I was sitting in the classroom for a parenting class I was court-ordered to attend. As I sat there, my mind was filled with regrets and the weight of my past mistakes. But then, I noticed a verse hanging on the wall that would change my life. It read: Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. This verse, in that moment, became a beacon of hope for me, a promise of a new beginning.

The prophet Isaiah delivered these words to the nation of Israel during a time of deep despair. A time when they felt that all hope had been lost. At a time when Israel had been taken captive and marched many miles away to a land they never knew. Isaiah speaks these words at a time of oppression and a time in which Israel thought God had forsaken them. Then the message of hope comes, God speaking: "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." In another way of putting it, "Where there is water, there is life. I can give you life." This promise of a new beginning, of life and abundance, is not just for Israel, but for each one of us. 

That day, this scripture resonated with me deeply. I was at the beginning of my spiritual journey, and my past was a constant distraction. Despite my longing for a closer relationship with Jesus, my focus remained on my past. In that moment, God reminded me that He could give me a life of abundance, free from the shackles of my past. 

It was God’s reminder to me not to “consider” or remember past failures since grace and forgiveness were granted due to the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was God’s way of saying, “I AM doing a new thing.” Do you understand? Do you perceive? 

So, I ask you, “Do you see it? Do you understand what God is doing in your life today?” For some, the answer may be “No. I don’t know. I don’t understand?” But I assure you, “He is making streams in the desert and rivers in the wasteland. You will soon see it, that's why you are here today.” This is not just a promise for the future, but a reality that is unfolding in your life right now. Can you perceive it?