Tuesday, December 26, 2023

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 desert and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:18-19)

One of the most common commands in Scripture is “Remember.” God wants us to remember his prior faithfulness so we will trust him today. He wants us to remember our past mistakes so we won’t repeat them tomorrow. A good memory is a vital component of spiritual health. So God’s command spoken through Isaiah is somewhat surprising: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” God knows that healthy remembering can easily slide into a destructive obsession with the past. We dwell on “the good ol’ days” and miss out on living this day, or we soak in the shame of yesterday’s mistakes and find ourselves paralyzed in the present. God calls us to pay attention instead to the new thing he is doing right now.

As we step toward the much-anticipated turn of the calendar to 2024, we will spend the week reflecting on several of the new things God promises to do.

Live the Word

Ask God to help you leave 2023 behind you and boldly step into the new year with him.