I recall the time when my family, along with some good friends, went on a hike in the mountains. It was a lovely day in Massachusetts. We set out joyfully and confidently because my husband has the gift of direction. I always say that he has an internal GPS! We went along for quite a while and realized that we were lost on the way back. Completely lost. Fortunately, we found a friendly local person with a pickup truck who let us pile into the open cab, and he drove us back to our destination. It was at least a 30 minute drive back. We were really lost, but God opened a way for us to get safely home.
This is so very much how God is in our lives naturally and spiritually. Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” All of us at some time in our life have wilderness experiences where things seem dry and barren. I know that I have. At just the right time God opened things up and literally watered my soul in a way that I couldn’t even imagine!
In Isaiah 41:18 God says, “I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.”
Just how God does this, we do not always know. I am beginning to learn that it isn’t important to know “how” or “when” God will do something; it only matters that He will do what He says because He loves us and is a faithful God. We can rest assured that He will come through because His word says so. He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). We only need to believe that no matter how dry, dark and dreary our seasons of life can be, God can make a way and do new things in our situation.
God loves new things! He is an exciting and creative God. He doesn’t want us to dwell on our past because our past, with all of its failures, does not need to define us. When we are in Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we are new creatures: old things are passed away and all things are become new. God creates new mercies every day for us because He is a faithful God who loves us (Lamentations 3:22-23).
God Changed Me
I experienced a personal crisis some years ago that was a very difficult time for me. I had not dealt with some issues and allowed myself to morph into an angry, resentful person. I didn’t know how to deal with the pain and emotions, so I literally “checked out.” I changed my location and lived in a way that I thought would help me cope better. During that time I prayed like I never prayed before. I cried more than I had ever cried. I poured through the Scriptures and held onto God’s promises which became sweeter to me than life itself. I surrounded myself with godly girlfriends who would listen and pray for me at any time of the day or night. Somehow, some way, God changed me. He opened my eyes and I saw life like I had never seen it before. I was new. God had opened my eyes of understanding (Ephesians 1:18), and it was the most beautiful experience ever. I had a better grasp of what the real problem was in my life (which wasn’t what I thought it was), and my focus became centered on God — not on myself, my situation and what I was obsessed with. When God sets us free, we are free indeed! (John 8:36)
Jesus sits on the throne of this universe, and He says that he “makes all things new” (Revelation 21:5). When He says all, He means all. The context of that verse refers to the new heaven and the new earth, but is anything too hard for God? Can He make us new today — right now? Absolutely! Do you think that your past mistakes and present difficulties are out of the sphere of God’s ability to correct and make new? I don’t think so. With man it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
Call to Action:
He wants to make you and your situation new today. Surrender, believe and experience the transformation for yourself. You will never be the same!
Will you join me in keeping focused on the Lord and His promises to make all things new in your life?
All scripture taken from the King James Version.
