The Lord says, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I 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.” - Isaiah 43:18-19 (NRSV) Todays Devotional While on a cruise on the Yangtze river in China, we were instructed to look for old shoes floating by. Our guide explained that when people suffer illness, unemployment, or divorce they let go of the past and its painful memories by putting their old shoes in the river. With new shoes they hope to walk into a better future. In Isaiah 43:18, the Lord encouraged a sad and exiled people to let go of the grief of the past and instead to trust the Lord’s leadership to enter a new place. With God’s help, we too can be refreshed. When I struggled with painful feelings of rejection after my divorce, I didn’t understand how the Lord could bring anything good out of it. But this verse gave me courage to believe that God would lead me to a better life. As I did my best to trust and obey, our Lord brought me fresh joy and new purpose. God asks us to learn from our failures and mistakes but not to live in our past pain. In Romans 6:4 Paul wrote, “We have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” We take steps toward newness of life as we daily turn from the temptation of despair and put our hope in God. Clifford B. Rawley (Missouri, USA) Thought for the Day: Jesus can make all things new. (See Rev. 21:5.) Prayer: Dear Lord, in the light of your forgiveness and leadership, may we follow you into a future of hope. Amen.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0000
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