PASTOR’S CORNER, Jeremy Harris, First Southern Baptist Church, Liberal
16 This is what the Lord says—who makes a way in the sea, and a path through raging water,
17 who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty one together; (they lie down, they do not rise again; they are extinguished, put out like a wick)—
18 “Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old.
19 Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. ~ Isaiah 43:16-19
This is one of those challenging passages. God introduces Himself with a memory of some of the great things He has done but then tells the people of God to “not remember the past events.” What is God all about here? Why would He use past events to introduce Himself if He does not want the people to remember past events? I think it is because we have a bad habit of remembering the past to the detriment of the present and future. We want to try and recreate the great things that have happened before and we want God to do things the way He has done them in the past and we get scared when He starts working in ways that are unfamiliar.
So, in this passage, God reminds the people that He is powerful and able to work in their lives in ways that are miraculous and amazing! He parted waters, took out armies, and made a way for His people. But then He makes sure that they don’t fix their hopes on Him working in exactly the same way. If we are waiting for God to part the seas like He did that one time, we might miss what God is actually doing around us. God tells His people to “look” don’t miss it…He is doing something new.
So for you and I today, I would encourage you to “LOOK!” Don’t get so wrapped up in what you think God should be doing and how He should be doing it. Look for what God IS doing around you. Don’t be scared of change. God isn’t scared to do things in a new way. He will do new, amazing, powerful things in our world and in our lives. We don’t want to miss it because it doesn’t look like what we remember or hope for.
