Isaiah 42:9 “See, the former things have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce them to you.”

Everywhere I read in Isaiah resonates in me, often leaving me at a loss as to what I am to write on. Being from Japan, I have always loved the way he spoke so frequently about islands (even though some translations say “coastlands” instead). Of all the people in the Old Testament, he is the one I most admire, or would like to be, even though tradition tells us he left this earth by being sawed in two. He wrote extensively of the Messiah who was to come, and is quoted in the New Testament, even by Jesus. When God tells him here that He would tell Isaiah what was going to happen before it occurred, it was no exaggeration. God is outside of time, but he has set things up in sequence so that they will come to His desired end. When we look at the span of history, nothing in it was a surprise to God, and one thing led to another. When we get to heaven we will encounter saints from every point in that timeline, and we will be overwhelmed by how it all fit together. There are always new things, but they are never new to God. Our point is to seek God for what He wants of us in this moment, not being anxious about tomorrow or next week or next year. He will be faithful to tell us what we need to know, when we need to know it. He’s not likely to tell us much ahead of time, because we’d get too involved in thinking about it! Our goal should be faithful obedience.

This morning, just before I woke up, I dreamed about my father. I spoke to him, but I don’t remember that he said anything. We shared a bit of fruit, and then I remembered that if he were physically alive today, he’d be 115 years old, when the Lord took him home a few days after his 64^th birthday. I have no idea what significance, if any, that dream has, but he was a magnificent example of someone who gave the Lord his all, whatever he was going through. I have never felt I could approach his accomplishments, but that isn’t the point. I need to be faithful as he was with the opportunities and circumstances the Lord gives me. I’ve outlived him physically by over 12 years, but that’s not the point. I need to seek the Lord for what He wants of me right now, so that I may fulfill my place in the flow of time for God’s glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the wedding I’ll be performing today, the service that will be tomorrow, and setting up on Monday for the photo show. Each thing needs to happen in sequence. Help me be fully faithful in each detail, so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!