something new

"Remember not the events of the past, 

the things of long ago consider not;

See, I am doing something new!

Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

In the wilderness I make a way, 

in the wasteland, rivers."

Isaiah 43:18-19

How hard it can be for us to let go of our past - to let go of the things we have not done in Christ - to let go of the sins we have since received forgiveness for. Why do we hold on to them sometimes, even when God is telling us let them go? When God speaks through the prophet Isaiah in the above passage, I don't think he's so much telling us to completely forget about all the bad things we've done (because we often need that reminder to keep from doing the same things again!), as he is telling us that once those things have been forgiven, we shouldn't continue to beat ourselves up over them. 


If we cling to our past, if we hold on to our old selves, we will inevitably miss what God wants to do in our lives now. In short, we need to live in the present in order to be present to God - and to see what the "something new" is that he calls us to. Just like yesterday, when we talked about Jesus walking toward us on the water, calling us to do his work, we can also think of him making a path through the wilderness of our souls - forming a river of his grace and love in our own wastelands. 


Our God is dynamic - he is always doing something new - but Easter, in particular, is all about God "doing something new" - offering us new life through Christ's cross and resurrection... offering us the freedom to walk as sons and daughters of God... offering us the forgiveness of our sins through Christ's blood, and the healing of our brokenness through the breaking of his body. 


What is the "something new" Christ is asking me to perceive in my life? What is the "something new" he is asking you to perceive in yours? What does he ask of us? Are we listening? Are we watching?