New Things for 2025: An Invitation

 

New Things for 2025: An Invitation

Our 2025 thing.

Last week, I shared life lessons I learned in 2024.  My short list, hopefully, expanded both my spiritual knowledge and individual understanding.  The next step is to take what I’ve learned and develop a solid plan for moving forward in 2025.  Therein lies my opportunity to do new things.

As we create plans for this new year, consider God’s words to His people, Israel.

Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  (Isaiah 43:19)

In our text today, God is promising to retrieve and restore Israel from their 70-year exile.  Their deliverance out of captivity would be more famous than that from Egypt (Jeremiah 23:6-8).  Israel thought they knew God, but He was about to show them something different:  a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.  God alone had the power and authority to do what was humanly impossible.  He was able to do “a new thing” (Isaiah 45:7, 12).

God’s “new thing”.

In the Old Testament, “new thing” is cited in only three (3) texts:  Isaiah 43:19, Numbers 16:30, and Jeremiah 31:22.  Here they describe situations where God’s greatness and sovereignty is on display.

In the New Testament this concept of a “new thing” was manifested in the fulfillment of the Messiah who came to save us and to restore man to God’s original purpose. God was unable to fulfill His purpose through families, tribes or kings, through prophets, mediators or priests.  God brought salvation to earth through Jesus Christ.  He was God’s “new thing”.

God’s new thing resulted in:

    •     The Kingdom of God coming to earth. (Matthew 4:17)
    •     Mercy, grace, and truth. (Psalm 85:10)
    •     Man becoming a “new creation”.  (2 Corinthians 5:17)
    •     Freedom from the penalty and power of sin.  (Romans 8:1)

God invites man to join Him in accomplishing His divine purpose. I will not conclude that the challenges we face are part of God’s divine purpose.  However, I do believe that God throughout man’s history continually exercises His sovereignty and His authority.  That includes introducing “change” that will create “new things” into our life and into our world.

But God.

As we move through the challenges we face, know that God is still doing new things.  The world we knew in the 20th century has changed.  21st century living requires our ability to change while maintaining  both our humanity AND our faith.  How can we manage change?

    • Trust God.  Believe in His ability and willingness to guide us to a new thing.
    • Position ourselves to hear God.  Pray without ceasing and read His Word.
    • Look for areas needing change in our life.  Be honest with God and ourselves.
    • Identify and confess sin in our life.  What’s interfering with God doing a new thing in our life?

God’s new things always result in our good and His glory.   As we seek security and stability during these tumultuous times, know that God is more than able to sustain and keep us (Psalm 46:1-3; 7-10).  Let us accept God’s invitation and join with Him in creating “new things” in 2025.

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