Isaiah 43:13-20 (NRSV)
Read Isaiah 43:13-20 on biblegateway.com
Verse 13I am God, and also henceforth I am He; there is no one who can deliver from my hand; I work and who can hinder it?
Verse 14Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I will send to Babylon and break down all the bars, and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation. Verse 15I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Verse 16Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, Verse 17who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: Verse 18Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. Verse 19I am about to do 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. Verse 20The wild animals 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,
Devotion
I am about to do a new thing says the Lord. Does this statement bring comfort or anxiety? It depends on how you view change, and what this statement means for us. When the Lord states a new thing is about to happen, be ready and hang on because it probably won't be a subtle change or go unnoticed. Because God knows our needs before we even ask, these new things can happen suddenly or unexpectedly.
I remember seeing a poster while in college in which an ostrich was depicted with its head stuck in the sand. The poster asked, "Is this how you face your future?" Sometimes we might feel like putting our heads in the sand and denying that a “new thing” is about to happen. However, we are invited not to fear these changes, but rather to declare God's praises because God has redeemed us and called us to be God’s own children!
Prayer
Almighty God, provide us the courage and strength to endure the changes that occur in our daily life. Amen.