I Am Doing a New Thing
January 1, 2023
Isaiah 43:19 - 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.
Isaiah, a prophet during the time when the Israelites were in Babylonian captivity, often would share past experiences to call attention to present events and to reveal future promises. So in the verse right before this one, he wrote, “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.” Then he finishes with “See, I am doing a new thing!” He is reminding them that God led His people through the desert, giving them everything they needed to survive and He will do that for them now, AND He will provide for them in the future as well. He freed them from Egyptian slavery and He will free them again.
The prophesies of Isaiah are found in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament writer. At the time, he wanted them to remember who God was and what He has done for them. He wanted them to remember that failures are the kindling that God uses to express His strength through us. In our weakness, He is strong. We learn and grow much more efficiently from failure and weakness than we do from winning. So even though they are seeing a desert in front of them now, he is preparing to make a way through the wilderness and streams for them. He is doing a new thing!
We just celebrated Christmas. A baby boy born to a virgin, angels singing at His birth and a bright star leading shepherds and wise men to them are all new things. And John the Baptist, Jesus’s cousin appears, just as prophesized, calling for them to repent and making a way for the Lord to arrive. The coming of Jesus is the New Thing that Isaiah’s prophesy was pointing to.
If 2022 was a challenge for you, as it has been for many of us, whether you dealt with suffering, loss or any difficult challenges, remember that God is doing a new thing. He is always in control. We don’t have a clue what He has planned for us, but He is most definitely providing a way in the wilderness for us. When we walk daily with Him, He allows us to see all of the new things that He is doing daily as we are experiencing them. We need to pray that He will remind us of His constant and consistent love for us, and be prepared for all He has planned in our lives for this year.