Our Children's Children - Pt 5

Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: “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. The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. (Isaiah 43:16-21 ESV). I hate goodbyes. I really do. This week has been a week of “goodbyes.” I must remind myself that goodbyes don’t mark endings, but beginnings. They should not come with sadness, but joy. I must hold onto the hope that God gives to us. Our reading underscores that principle as God gave the Israelites this wonderful promise. God reminds Israel that He brought them up out of Egypt and rescued them in one of the most amazing miracles imaginable. I love the verses in Scripture that detail God’s rescue of His people. I love them because they instill hope; they remind me that God is with us and will go before and behind us. When God places a new path before us that calls us to move in a different direction than we had planned, we are reminded that he intends good for us. These are thoughts of hope, not sorrow. Maybe we hold onto the here and now because that less clear-cut path that God is calling us to take is scary. The known is easier. Goodbyes are scarier. But His word reminds us that a new beginning is His way. He allows goodbyes so that He can give us even more hope. Goodbyes open doors to new beginnings. The Gospel message was a new beginning, a new covenant between God and all mankind. It also marked a new way of coming before God, directly rather than through a man. There is peace in knowing God’s plan is a new one, that He doesn’t expect us to say goodbye, but rather to remember His faithfulness and trust that whatever path He has put us on is good. That is hope. Hope in the future God calls us to, the path that may seem less certain. There is peace in knowing that goodbyes are necessary. They are necessary to following the path God has for us. They are necessary. They can be sad; but, they are not endings in the sense that they are left behind. Rather, they are, like the history the Israelites took with them as they crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, reminders of the plan God has for us. It is a plan to give us hope and a future. So, for now, as I wave goodbye to the kids going out the drive to make their home in Texas, I can be absolutely certain that God has placed before me a plan for a path full of grace. Are there some goodbyes you are saying this week? Rest in his plan and purpose. It is for your good! What a great principle to practice and teach to our children!