Daily Dwelling

In Isaiah 43 God is promising the Jews that He will rescue them from Babylon. He acknowledges that they deserve the captivity but He desires to rescue them for His own sake. The first 7 verses God is reminding them of the care He has for them and of His kind and holy character. Then from verses 8-16 He is calling them out and calling them to accepting His truth and ways! In verse 16 and 17 He is reminding them of the many ways He has been faithful in the past. But there is a very important and instructional shift that happens from Isaiah 43: 16-17 to verse 18. While God was encouraging them to look back at the faithfulness of God from the past, in verse 18 He instructs them to “not consider the former things.”

Isaiah 43: 18-19 says, ““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.”

While it is helpful for us to reflect on the past and the ways that God has been a provider, a friend, kind, gracious, etc. it is not helpful to dwell on our sin or discouragements from the past.

I remember when my husband and I first moved to GA. I won’t sugar coat it. It was the right decision, but the transition was very difficult for me. I moved away from my family, my brother had just had his first baby, I didn’t have a job, I was not participating in anything that fulfilled what I felt like God has called me to. I was struggling. When we are in a new season and it feels impossible to see where God is and what He is doing it can become very easy to dwell on the past. It can feel natural to compare your current situation to what you had in the past and sit in disappointment. I had never struggled with depression before and for the first time in my life, I was depressed. I felt so alone and like God had forgotten about me.

I ended up going to the Passion conference that year about 3 months after we had settled in to our new home. Christine Caine had spoken on this passage from Isaiah 43 and I remember feeling so convicted. I had been expecting God to do the same thing He did in our marriage, our church, our ministries, and our life back in FL. I was unable to let go and be excited and expectant for what was to come! I left with a fire in my soul to dive fully into whatever God was doing and obediently follow.

As I look back on these past 3 years I am in awe of God. He has walked with my husband and I through some really difficult moments in ministry and shown us what it looks like to truly abide in Him. He has brought so many amazing families to our student ministry that we have had the honor and pleasure to love and lead. He was doing a new thing and I would’ve missed it if I wasn’t called out of dwelling on the former things.

If you are in a season of your life where you’re feeling forgotten by the Lord, lost at sea, or unable to find joy in the unexpected outcome of the future, read Isaiah 43! Let it be an encouragement to you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze (Is. 43:2). Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life (Is. 43:4). Do not be afraid, for I am with you (Is. 43:5). He has not forgotten you or abandoned you and He never will. He is preparing you! He has been faithful before and will continue to be. He is doing a new thing.