Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

I have used this verse in the Scripture readings for December 31st more than once, I believe, but it bears consideration at any time of year. This is actually God directly contradicting Solomon’s “wisdom” recorded in Ecclesiastes 1:9, that “There is nothing new under the sun.” From some perspectives Solomon was right, but we make a grave error if we mentally or emotionally refuse to let God do anything we’ve never seen before. The specific thing referenced in Isaiah is the advent of the Messiah, which was missed by the majority of the religious professionals of the day because it didn’t fit their paradigm. From our perspective, when we know that God did something as shockingly different as sending His Son to earth as a human baby, we should be open to expect Him to do anything at all, in keeping with His character. There is a caveat here, contained in that last sentence. God is not going to do anything that violates who He is, such as telling us to run around acting like cats in heat. There are those today who try to insist that such behavior is accepted by Him, but they are sadly mistaken. However, God has had a hard time getting His people to discard some of their preconceptions, such as the whole issue of whether Gentiles could become Christians without becoming Jewish proselytes first. All through the Bible God has had to remind His people that He is indeed God, and nothing is impossible for Him. He even had to say it through the angel to Mary, when she was being told she would bear Jesus. (Luke 1:37) Where we get into trouble is when we refuse to believe that God could possible correct some situation that we know to be undesirable from His standpoint. Such an attitude is very risky, as the story in 2 Kings 7 illustrates dramatically. In personal terms, we tend not to believe that people can change – that we can change – even by the power of God. God is still in the business of doing new things, and we forget that to our great loss.

Well this certainly applies to me! Having reached “retirement age” I have a tendency to resist change, and that’s not a good thing. I need to be open to whatever new things God has in mind, not limiting God by my unbelief, or at least not limiting my participation in what He is doing. I am getting hints of some things He might have in mind, but I’m not to try to “make them happen” by my own efforts. I am to be yielded and available, and above all unafraid. He is more than able to use even me in ways that I can’t imagine, but will draw people into His kingdom, into right relationship with Him, for His glory. I am to walk in holy expectation of that, however little I might have seen it in the past.

Father, thank You for this strong, encouraging Word. You have indeed used me many times in many ways, but You are reminding me that is “very little.” Help me be fully available to You for all You want to do in and through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!