Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do 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.” www. 18-19
Isaiah 43:16-21
Some people live with their eyes on the past. They long for the way things used to be and spend valuable energy trying to get back to original intent when interpreting the documents of the past. There’s much to admire about such an attitude. It’s important to recognize what has worked in the past and what has not–such study keeps us from making the same mistakes over and over again. Certainly that was true for the prophets of Judah–their people had found their identity from their common experience. But this prophet knew they couldn’t get stuck there! They’d never be able to recreate those formative experiences in the future. But they’d still be okay! And so it is for us. Our God is not bound to time but is continually present as we move into what seems an uncertain future. That’s especially true for the Church, the Body of Christ. There’s no way we can return to the 50’s and 60’s when so many of us came to faith and fell in love with Jesus. We can’t even go back to pre-COVID days when some of our congregations seemed so solid and strong. According to the prophet there’s a new day coming–God is always in the process of making a way in the wilderness–we will never be abandoned.
Thought for the Day: How do I feel about new ways in my congregation?
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