Sunday, April 6, 2014

Isaiah 43

This has been a favorite passage of Scripture of mine for years now. Before leaving for the mission field, this became "my verse." In the middle of some of the most difficult times of my life, this verse held promises and truths that I could cling to and carry on and continue trusting in my Lord. Today, I return once again to this passage and in typical God fashion, He highlighted a couple of verse in here and gave them a whole new fresh meaning and application to my current situation. A few verses that somehow didn't mean as much to me as they do now. His Word truly is alive and active! His mercies new every morning! 

I'll copy the whole passage for you at the bottom of this post, but for now these are the verses that have really struck me, that I keep coming back to. And I'm pretty sure these are going to end up on a canvas on my wall some day. 

 Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
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.

When going through the storm, I find myself at times giving thanks and at rest, and then all of a sudden out of no where I'll get so angry and start playing the blame game. Have you ever had someone have such a huge influence on your life and the lives of others and you feel like they are to blame for everything that is happening? I do. I find myself thinking, "if only (so and so) would stay out of my life and leave us alone, none of this would be happening! I would be carrying on with my original plans and life may not be perfect but at-least it would feel right." But, then I come back to this verse and the first thing it says is, "Forget the former things! Do no dwell on the past." *sigh* Okay Lord! Turning my eyes forward to You. Then I read "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." Wow! Okay Lord! If I truly believe that He is Sovereign over every detail of my life, then I will truly believe with all my heart that regardless of other people and their decisions and how those decisions affect my life, HE is the One controlling it all and I will be at rest and at peace in Him. I am in that "wilderness" right now, and yet God doesn't see it as a wilderness. He sees this beautiful, new thing springing up from the ground with fresh life.

"Forget the former things! Do not dwell on the past."  Yes, Lord!
"Do not be anxious for anything!" Yes, Lord!
Give thanks in everything!" Yes, Lord!
"I am doing a new thing!!" Thank you Lord!
"No really! I am doing a new thing right now!" I believe! Open my eyes to see it Lord!

Lord, "My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but (You) God are the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever." - Psalm 73:26 (parenthesis mine)

Isaiah 43:1-21

 But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush and Seba in your stead.
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.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
    I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”
Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
    who have ears but are deaf.
All the nations gather together
    and the peoples assemble.
Which of their gods foretold this
    and proclaimed to us the former things?
Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right,
    so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
    “and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
    and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
    nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord,
    and apart from me there is no savior.
12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
    I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
13     Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
    When I act, who can reverse it?”
14 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,[b]
    in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator, your King.”
16 This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses,
    the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18 Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
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.
20 The wild animals honor me,
    the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed for myself
    that they may proclaim my praise.

1 comment:

  1. It sounds like he is teaching us some similar things in different ways

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