Thus says the Lord, who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters, “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:16,18,19)
There is a song that says, “God will make a way, where there seems to be no way.” I hope you believe that. Just like the Israelites facing the Red Sea, we often look forward and mistakenly think there is no way. We think about “former things,” about what worked and what didn’t work. We conclude that those things which worked will still work, and what didn’t work still won’t work. Not so with God.
Let us read this verse carefully, because “remembering” is an important biblical principle. Isaiah is not telling us to forget the past. The book of Deuteronomy repeats many times the need to remember God’s faithfulness in the past as we proceed forward in our faith journey into the future.
Think about how Isaiah phrases it. “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past.” He is warning us against intentionally dredging up memories of failures. Because new challenges call for new approaches, and God constantly presents us with a new way forward. God knows that if we rely exclusively on what worked or didn’t work before, we can easily lose focus on him. He wants us to trust him!
Isaiah is pointing out that if our thinking excludes God’s power to do new things, then we may turn back instead of moving forward. God wants you to make it. You are his beloved. There is a difference between being “aware” of the past and being “confined” by the past. And as we are aware of former things, so must we also be aware that God is greater than former things. He has new things.
On the other side of the Red Sea, there was going to be a kingdom purpose for the people of God to fulfill. Thus, the Red Sea had to relinquish passage to those called to the Promised Land. Beyond our obstacles are purposes and dreams. Not selfish ones. Big ones. Kingdom-sized and kingdom-focused.
God will move obstacles and part waters for those who pursue his preferred future. Moses believed in the promised future land. But when driven into a trap in pursuit of that dream, what would he do? An army behind him, a great sea in front of him. Would Moses be aware of God … of his presence, his purposes, his power, his promises, his plan? Are you aware of all these things in your present moment? It’s the key phrase of this passage … “Will you not be aware …?”
So, Moses listened to God’s instruction to hold up his staff toward the obstacle, the Red Sea, thus declaring that what should not have worked … was going to work … crossing the sea without a boat or a bridge … because his thinking took God’s purpose and ability into account.
Stop looking at how things used to be, used to work. The past is behind you. The future is on the other side of that obstacle. What are you going to be most aware of … the past behind, the obstacle ahead, or God above? From your vantage point, the promise out there may not be visible. But from God’s vantage point, it is.
Now occasionally, God says to live with things as they are for now, but more than we are aware, he says to move on, trust him. And when he speaks for action, take your staff, and hold it up in defiance against the obstacle. Yes, that can be a risky, scary act of faith. But it is your signal that you are aware … aware of the past, aware of the dream, aware of the obstacles, and most of all … aware of God’s ability to do a “new thing.”
If God has a purpose in mind for you, you must not be limited by the way things have been working up until now. In your wilderness, God will make a road. In your desert, God can make a river.
Blessings,
Chaplain Mark