Ready for Something New?

Ready for Something New?

Do you need something new?

Do you need a new surge of inspiration?  Perhaps you began 2023 with a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, gain more faith, or increase your personal time with family.

Perhaps you’re fasting to discipline your body or engaged in a prayer effort to renew your spirit.  Aren’t these the things we normally do?  How’s it working?  Maybe it’s time to change our thinking.   Maybe it’s time to do a “new thing”!

It’s been said, “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you got!”  So do a new thing!  God’s thing!  Walk in the divine purpose God created just for you—from the beginning of time (Eph. 2:10).

What’s a “new thing”?

In the Old Testament, the use of “a 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 as God “invites man” to move into His designated purpose.

In the New Testament this concept of “a new thing” is manifested in the fulfillment of Messiah who came to gift us with salvation and to restore man to God’s original purpose—to glorify Him and live with Him forever.  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—”God’s new thing”.

This “new thing” would result in:

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

A new thing is promised.

In Isaiah 43:19, God is promising to retrieve and restore Israel from their 70-year exile.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  (KJV) 

The New Living Translation makes God’s plans even clearer.

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. 

The Israelites deliverance out of captivity would be more famous than that from Egypt (Jer. 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”.  To do this would be humanly impossible but God alone had the power and authority to do “a new thing” (Isa. 45:7, 12).

I am learning that with God nothing is impossible (Gen. 18:14).  As my pastor stated in his Sunday sermon, the reason we aren’t realizing God’s best for our lives isn’t because of God.   “God is not the problem.  WE are the problem!”  Our lack of faith and refusal to get out of our comfort zone keeps us from moving into God’s promises and His purpose for our lives.   1 Corinthians 2:9 reminds us that: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared or those who love him.”

Are we ready for a new thing?

For us, God is more than able to “make a pathway through the wilderness and create rivers in the dry wasteland.”  God wants to do a “new thing” in our life so we can walk in His divine purpose.  Here is the “CPR” we can use to revive us and begin our journey.

      • Confess areas of sin in our life that are interfering with hearing God.
      • Position ourselves to hear God speak—pray, read and meditate on His Word.
      • Reflect on where God has already begun working in our life.

Then ask God how we can serve in His Kingdom (our purpose), wait patiently, and listen attentively.  God invites us to join Him in doing a “new thing.”  When we trust God with our lives, we can look forward to an exciting future with purpose (Jer. 29:11).

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