Isaiah 43:16–21 (NRSV)
Read Isaiah 43:16–21 on biblegateway.com
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, Verse 21the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.
Devotion
I enjoy writing cards, especially to my husband. However, I repeat myself, recalling the same stories and extolling the same qualities I love about him. I have come to realize that sometimes I need to let go of some cherished memories to create space for new memories. Do we sometimes do the same thing with God? Get so stuck on the big things God has already done for us—creation, the Exodus, baptism—that we forget to create space for the new story God is telling in our lives right now?
Eugene Peterson in The Message paraphrases Isaiah this way: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.” In this season of Lent, we are called not only to remember what God has done for us in baptism, but also to be attentive to the ways God is living out those baptismal promises in new ways right before our eyes.
Prayer
God of past, present, and future, open our eyes to the new things that you are doing in our lives today. Teach us to be attentive to the movement of your Spirit as you make all things new. Amen.