The New Thing. Do You See It?

The New Thing. Do You See It?Happy 2017! I often use the beginning of a new year as a time of reflection and goal setting. Of recalling old memories, and making plans for the new.

But sometimes in my year-end review, I get caught up on the mistakes made and paths left untaken. My thoughts dwell on the problems I’ve yet to solve, and it puts a dark haze on my view of the coming weeks and months. As I talked with God today about my muddled outlook, this passage of scripture came to mind. As is often the case with God, it was exactly what I needed to hear.

This is what God says,
the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
they lie down and then can’t get up;
they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened;
don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands.

Isaiah 43:16-19 MSG

God is always doing something new. He is the original creative being. We’re talking about the Almighty. The one who built a road for the Israelites right through the Red Sea. Who talks through a burning bush, a donkey, and the One who redeems sinners. He loves to innovate, to craft moments, and to make accessible pathways through unimaginable terrain.

I love the Message translation of these verses. “It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?” In my ignorance, sometimes the answer is no. I get so caught up in my fears, insecurities, past limitations, or other urgent tasks that I pass by, oblivious to the brand-new wonder exploding in my peripheral view. I review the past year and see all the pitfalls and stumbling blocks I struggled through. With these experiences in mind, I then arm myself to fight them again in the new year, training my eyes to focus on only the things I expect to plague my future.

In our human capacity sometimes we miss things simply because we don’t expect to see them. The Monkey Business Illusion is a great example of this. Check out the video below to see what I mean.

When we’re looking only for what we know, or focusing so hard on only one aspect of the big picture, we can miss the new things happening right in front of us. This is humorous when it’s a monkey wandering through our view, but horrifying if we miss out on the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Thankfully, the above passage in Isaiah 43 also gives insight as to how to notice the things of God.

1.  Forget about what’s happened. Don’t keep going over old history.

We can learn from our past mistakes and move on. Fail to dwell on the things that have already occurred. My past only tells me about what I’ve experienced before. But what about a new thing? A fresh awesome that I’ve yet to witness ever before in my life? A new promise God’s offering for me to take hold of? I can’t use history to identify those things. I must choose to let the past be the past and to focus on what is coming ahead. I cannot move forward if I’m always looking behind.

2.  Be alert, be present.

I want to be attentive to the now. God, what are you speaking to me right now? What would you have me focus on in this day? In this hour?  What new joy are you calling me into for 2017?

The New Thing. Do You See It?For me, being present sometimes includes shutting out the distant future as well as the past. I can square my gaze so far down the road that I miss opportunities right in front of me for today. Sometimes these new things will be huge and hard to miss like job changes or a growing family. Yet other times they will be captured in the tiny details of shared laughter or a kind word spoken at the right moment. Either way, I miss the joy of celebrating each new gift if I am not alert in the moment and attentive to how the Lord is blessing my life.

3.  Forget about what’s happened. Don’t keep going over old history.

I’m listing this one again because if you’re anything like me, right at this moment you may be fretting about the things you could have missed. What if God had some grand adventure and you mishandled it? Have no fear. Forget about what’s happened in the past, don’t keep rehashing history. He is doing new things all the time. Choose to be alert today and I promise, He will speak to you and use you for his purposes. Even now, He’s doing something brand-new. He’s preparing a wondrous thing for you in this coming year. It’s bursting out, do you see it?

 

Photocredit: unsplash.com here, here, and here.

Jen Weaver

Jen Weaver is a communicator and storyteller, both in the written word and as a conference speaker and church teacher. Married to her best friend Jared, and proud momma to an adorable son, she’s passionate about sharing strength with those who feel stifled. You can find her blogging about faith, marriage, and motherhood at thejenweaver.com and her latest book, A Wife’s Secret to Happiness releases March 2017. You can also find her on social media as @thejenweaver.

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2 comments

  1. Jen, thank you for this inspiring post! I especially resonated with your first point. In fact, I’ll be keeping these words before me as I move forward in 2017: “I can’t use history to identify those things. I must choose to let the past be the past and to focus on what is coming ahead. I cannot move forward if I’m always looking behind.” Happy New Year to you and your precious family!

  2. Love this, Jen. Expressed so well. Particularly this, “I get so caught up in my fears, insecurities, past limitations, or other urgent tasks that I pass by, oblivious to the brand-new wonder exploding in my peripheral view.” Thanks! I’m praying for a non-muddled outlook in 2017. 🙂

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