New Beginnings - Pt. 6

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.” (Isaiah 43:16-19 ESV).

 

Glenn McCoy’s cartoon has a lot of truth hidden in its humor. There is a constant pull in us between the nostalgia of the past and the excitement of the new. There’s certainly no better illustration of this than the children as they open presents at Christmas or on their birthday. The “new” is the root of their excitement. We do the same as we age, We get excited about new clothing, a new vehicle, or even the fresh smell of new carpet in our home. Yes, we like new things. The danger in this tension between old and new is the possibility of getting stuck on one end of the spectrum or the other. Some of us may have a nostalgic hope that we can recover the “good old days,” and others of us may be locked face to face with a past we can’t escape.

 

Maybe we feel stuck by the circumstances of a broken home, or of sins we now regret, or of injustice that has been done to us. Though Christians do not ignore the past, faith in Christ always challenges us to look forward. Our goal is not “change for the sake of change,” as if new things by themselves could give us hope and fulfillment. But Isaiah reminds us of the only One who brings lasting change: “I am doing a new thing!” God says.

 

We can find joy in forgetting our past only when our future rests on the change Christ works in us. Because of the cross, we can experience the joy of forgetting our sinful past (cf. Philippians 3:13-14) and pressing on as new people in Jesus Christ. Strive for that balance within the grace of God through Christ this year.