Streams in the Wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Even the good past

Isaiah was speaking to exiles in Babylon. They'd lost the temple, the land, and Jerusalem. God's word to them: forget the former things. That included the Red Sea and the rescue from Egypt. The best days can trap us as easily as the worst ones.

Do you see it?

"See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" God's new beginnings usually start small. If we're fixed on the rearview mirror, we miss the seed coming up.

Not around, but through

God doesn't promise a detour around the desert. He promises a way through it and streams in the wasteland. One participant said that's what Jesus did for him: living water in a wasteland of a life.

What about trauma?

Someone asked about past trauma that has to be dealt with to heal. DeWayne agreed you don't bury it. Name it, bring it to the cross, ask for healing, and then leave it there. Another participant added that sometimes we cling to a past season we were good at, when God has something new.

Try this

• Each time you grab the steering wheel this week, remember the windshield is bigger than the mirror.
• Ask God to show you one small new thing He's growing in your life.