Moving Forward

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:18–19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Do you ever ruminate on the past? Over and over again, going through all the should haves, could haves, and would haves? In Isaiah 43, we learn that we need to NOT DWELL in the past. The word dwell means to LIVE in a place. Simply put we learn we need to NOT LIVE in the past, but to perceive (become aware) of the NEW thing that God is trying to do. As we walk through dry seasons and hard times, He provides a way through the trials and times of loss we face here on earth. If we turn our awareness to God and perceive what He is doing, we can see or sense that He is making a way…… If our focus is in the rear view mirror, we can’t look forward and see what he is doing on the road ahead. So as we are waiting and hoping for what God is doing, we must be alert to the new thing he is trying to do. He is a God of hope and restoration, and is working on making in us a new heart, and restoring what has been lost with something so much greater. We can look forward with hope to a new season filled with new ways and relationships better than before. He wants to do something NEW! We have to look ahead and not get stuck looking behind and miss out on what NEW thing He is doing!

Father help me to trust you, and not continually live in regret of the past but learn from the past and allow you to do something new as you make a way for a future filled with your best by molding and mending my heart into what you see fit! Amen.

Illustrations by Haley Punjak