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
Do you remember vinyl records? With the arrival of CDs, many of us discarded our LPs and disconnected our turntables, opting for superior digital sound. One of the things you may remember about vinyl was the skipping that would occur when the needle encountered a scratch. Not knowing how to move forward, it would jump back, so we had to advance the play manually. After doing this a few times, we likely discarded the album.
Sometimes our lives may be like those skipping records. Caught up in the nostalgic "Glory Days" (yes, you can buy that Springsteen classic on vinyl), we fail to move forward. It can happen not only in our secular lives but also in the spiritual. We grow complacent in where we are and have been and fail to open ourselves to God's tremendous potential for us that lies ahead. Like Lot's wife, we look back, unable to dream of the future.
In today's verse, God expresses his bewilderment to the children of Israel, "do you not perceive it?" I'm paraphrasing here. "Don't remain fixated on the past, good and bad, look ahead to the future. Free yourself to new possibilities. Trust in me, allow me to lead you. I'm about to do things that will amaze you."
God, thank you for all you have done and all you want to do in our lives. Help us not to be skipping records, always returning to the familiar. May we not be complacent with what always has been but open our hearts to what can be–the new thing that lies ahead. May we be obedient to whatever that thing is and wherever you may lead us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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