|
I will be the first to admit that forgetting about past trauma, trials, and struggles is much easier said than done. Forgiving people who have hurt us or in dealing with past indiscretions levied against us can be difficult to let go of. I have a habit of dredging up old wounds, and the task of picking up my feet to move forward can prove extremely daunting. I have little doubt in my mind that you, dear friend, also find it tricky to move forward and leave things to God, especially when he instructs us to do so as written below:
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing 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 ESV)
As human beings, it’s easy for us to live in the past, and we may struggle to find hope for the future, especially when the past has wounded us greatly. Even as I write this, my mind plays out unpleasant hurts and scenarios from days gone by that I find difficult to shove aside. But as I reread the verse above from Isaiah, I take comfort in knowing that the Lord promises that He is making all things new, that despite my tired feet slogging through the wilderness, God says He will craft rivers in the desert—that I can trust in His plan for tomorrow, even when I have trouble forgetting about yesterday.
Waiting for God to make a way through our wilderness experiences is not for the faint of heart, but as believers in Jesus Christ, we have a completely trustworthy source in which to place our trust—and our hope. If you are anything like me, you may struggle with trust issues, not only in worldly things and people but also in our ability to sit back and relax, to stay calm while the Lord fights our battles as He promises in Exodus 14:14, “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (NLT)
A little further along in Exodus, we read about Moses and how God told him, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hands over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.” (Exodus 14:15, 16 NLT)
If that were me that the Lord spoke to, I think I might have gone as far as to tell him that he was crazy!
“Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all night, turning the seabed into dry land. So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!” (Exodus 14:21, 22 NLT)
I have to believe that if God did this for Moses and the Israelites, then how much more is He willing to make a way for us through all of our trials, to clear a path through the wilderness for us to safely cross over to greener pastures—providing hope for our future? We may not see immediate evidence of Jesus working on things in our lives, as I would prefer, but rest assured, “I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” says the Lord.
He will make a way for you and me; we can depend on it.
Paul Smyth
|
