Trusting God with Your fresh Start
Do you feel stuck with unmet dreams and unmet expectations? Have you wondered if life will ever change?
Isaiah 43:19 shows us what this means and the assurance that God is at work even when it is hard to see.
Isaiah 43:19
Look, I am about to do something new;
even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert.
The prophet, Isaiah, is writing to God’s people while they are in captivity in Babylon. These people were stuck in a wilderness of their own and God is encouraging them during this time for all that the future holds. Let’s break this down.
“I am about to do a new thing.”
God’s transformative work is ongoing, This is a verb, meaning that God’s transformative work is ongoing. He is continuing to do a new thing. God is in this, and He is at work.
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
The people could focus on their captivity and their present circumstances. They could focus on their situation and remain despaired. However, there is a challenge to trust and open our eyes to His work. There is a challenge to change their perspective. God is at work, and bringing forth a new thing.
Making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert
Our God is the God of the impossible. He creates a way where there is no way. Sometimes, it feels like you are walking through thick fog, where you can’t see more than a step ahead. God’s promises are like a gentle sunrise breaking through the mist, slowly revealing the way forward with warmth and clarity. God is making a way for you in your foggy, wilderness season.
The Tension Between Waiting and Renewal
Waiting seasons can feel like wilderness moments. You might be feeling unseen where you are at in this season. You might be experiencing fear of stepping into the unknown. You might also be carrying the weight of unmet expectations or unanswered prayers.
Author Jamie Erickson says that the wilderness isn’t always a place of ruin and despair. It can also be a place of preparation. She quotes, “After leaving all the comforts of the world to fast and pray in the desert, Jesus appeared to be weak and vulnerable. In reality, He was quite the opposite. His empty arms weren’t a sign of defeat; they were a sign of surrender (1).” God is preparing us for what He has prepared for us. God’s plans are independent of our circumstances or timelines. Are your eyes fixed behind you or before you? Do you believe he wants to do something new in you, through you this year?
God’s timing is perfect and renewal can often start beneath the surface.
How to embrace God’s New Thing
If any of this resonates with you, I’ve got good news for you, friend. You are not alone and I have some practical tips for you in the midst of your waiting season.
Pay attention to the small changes. Begin to pay attention during your day to where God is at work. Where have you seen God? What is He doing that is surprising you?
Surrender your timeline. God’s plans often don’t align with ours. This is much to our disliking. We would prefer that God just get aligned with our plans. Yet, God’s ways are so much different from our own. However, they usually are much better plans than we could have imagined on our own.
Step into the unknown with faith. It is a very cliche saying. But when God closes a door, he opens a window. Or sometimes we are moving along in the hallway until that next door opens. When we choose to take steps (small or big) of faith, we open the possibility of new things God has in store for us. We open our horizons to new opportunities, new places, and sometimes even new seasons.
Hold onto His promises. The unknown is scary. Our wilderness seasons can be dark and longer than we planned for. When this is the case, we can choose despair. But we also have an alternative option. We can choose hope. We can choose to reflect on the goodness of God. We canchoose to remember His faithfulness of the past and use it as encouragement for the futrue. We can rely on His promises as our source of encouragement where we stand right now. It doesn’t change the season, but it does brighten our perspective for the moment.
Reflection
What is one “wilderness” area in your life where you need to trust God’s work?
How have you seen God bring renewal or fresh starts in past seasons?
What small step of faith can you take today to embrace the new thing God is doing?
You don’t have to see the big picture to trust God’s work. Isaiah 43:19 is an invitation to hope and embrace the unknown. God can do his best work in our seasons of waiting. God is making a way, even in the wilderness. Will you trust Him with the fresh start He is offering?
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or on instagram using the hashtags #trustthenewthing.
1 Erickson, Jamie. Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow.