RTW July 23
A New Thing
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19
My Takeaways
Something Old
khaw-dawsh: New: fresh (not stale or deteriorated; newly made)
God wants to put our eyes on the new work He will do. If we get stuck in the failure and sin and discouragement of the past, we never see the new thing He wants to do for us. Our past shouldn’t hold us hostage because it is full of hope. Let’s remember our past is.
- A Schoolroom. Every experience is a teachable moment. We can ask God to teach us His ways through our good and not so good old days.
- Sovereignly Supervised. Nothing happens with His permission. He is trust worthy to work all things together for good for all those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
- Stepping Stone. Our past prepares us for what He has planned next. He began a good work in us, and is faithful to complete it; our past is part of the good work.
Something New
“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.”
Isaiah 42:8
Something to Do
Today’s reading was so hopeful and inspiring! I loved Wendy’s lesson, but I also love Isaiah 40:31 and 41:13 and 43:1 and 43:13. I need to come to this book more often. There is SO MUCH here for us! Thank you God for Your uplifting words today and always!
I love the hope that speaks out of Gods word and Wendy’s lesson. I have been through devastating horrible things in the past, partly because I made wrong choices. I didn’t knew God the way I know Him now and I had not yet learned how to trust anyone else other than myself. I went through the darkest loneliest times of my life and seriously at that time I just didn’t care if my life would end, I felt that tormented and torn… I cried rivers and many times I was so angry and telling well meaning people that spoke of the Fathers live around me “well if He is thAt loving, why does he send all this horror my way? It would be a small thing for Him to stop it if He truly had everything in hands the way you say it!!!” I am so glad that God didn’t give up on me and that He kept on speaking to me. Through certain books that I read and certain friends that faithfully stood for what they believed and never gave up either my heart started to soften … I was able to learn and see things differently. I now completely understand today’s scripture and I can now see and feel and witness how my worst mess turned into a message and i can help other women with that. I still find it hard to think about certain things but that’s okay, God is not asking me to blot everything out. Through His strength and healing love I can think of it without falling apart again. Yes my past was a classroom and yes I can now see why God had to allow certain things to happen in order to draw me closer and get me off my self chosen path of destruction (even though I genuinely thought I was doing good, oh the deceivement in that!!!). I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father that cares so much for His children!!!! Praise be to God for whom there always is a new beginning!!
What a beautiful testimony Saskia!
This morning’s reading spoke to me in terms of the body of Christ..as in the local church. We learn from the past but watch in anticipation for what the future holds. We cannot be bound by “we have always done it that way” and miss what direction is being given to us for the future.
Love this teaching?
The enemy would like nothing better than to keep me wallowing in my failures so that I can not move forward. Today’s lesson is so helpful in remembering to let go of prior failures and sins that I have confessed to Him SO THAT the Lord can do a new thing in me. His Will be done within and through me.
HOPE! Today’s reading begins with “Comfort, comfort my people…” and ends with “And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children…”. There is so much reassurance here. I have underlined multiple things in these chapters.
Some phrases that touched my heart and bring me hope:
-He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart
-But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
-For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.
-Do not be afraid for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
-Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west
-I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior
-From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.
-I, yes I alone, will blot out your sins for my own sake, and will never think of them again.
-And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children.
Wow!! All this in addition to Wendy’s inspiring lesson on 43:19! I am so grateful for the sense of belonging, the forgiveness, the hope, and the reassurance in these verses.
I found it interesting that the prophecy in Isaiah 40-66 cannot be dated. To me that means it is not limited to a time period. It is for Gods people then in Jerusalem, but it is also for God’s people today – for me! God called Israel by name, but he also calls me by name and I am His.
And to think, I was having trouble sleeping due to some worries/concerns. I got up to read scripture and God spoke to me so clearly through today’s reading. I am so grateful for the message of hope.
My Takeaways: My God is an Awesome God!
Something Old: So many great prophecies in the 3 chapters I read today. So very difficult to pull out just one thing to focus on. I read so much good stuff today! I read about the prophecy of the fall of Judah’s enemy and captor, Babylon, and how
the Lord promised that His people would return from captivity and again enjoy His blessings. There was a prophecy of John the Baptist and prophecies of Jesus and so much more. This was one of the best reads yet! No other document of the ancient past comes close to the predictive accuracy of Scripture. I cannot deny the Bible’s faithful and clear record of accurate predictions. What hope I have for my future from todays reading!
Something New: Isaiah 41:4 “Who has done such Mighty Deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the Lord, the First and the Last. I alone am He” I love this verse. Just to think God works personally and in the lives of all his people. He hears everyones problems from the beginning of time until he returns. He loves and cares for all generations. Just think he’s the same God that cared and loved for my parents, my grandparents, their parents. And he will continue to love and care for my children, and their children. What an amazing, awesome God I serve. Centuries have come and gone but He remains. Men and nations have lived and died but, still, He is here. He saw the beginning and He will see the end. There is no one else like Him. He is in a category of His own.
It gives me a great deal of comfort and confidence to know that though I am small, my God is big. Though I am weak, He is strong. Though I can do little, He can do much; and, though I will pass away, He will remain. My God is truly an Awesome God!
Something To Do: Appreciate the comfort and encouragement found in His word, His presence, and His people. Never underestimate the power of God. Remember that I can always call upon God to renew my strength. He is in control of everything. When he makes a promise, he keeps it. He is completely trustworthy so I must remember to call on Him for everything.
Lkennedy, I love reading your posts. I think both you and I are struck by the awesomeness of our God today! I want to read today’s chapters over and over to feel the comfort, the hope and the encouragement found in God’s Word!
Me too, in fact I did reread our chapters today and I can’t stop thinking about them! You are so right God is so awesome that there is not enough words or even a word that can bring the right amount of understanding as to how awesome he is!! 🙂 I live reading your comments too. I love it so much when people share it just gives me so much more understanding.