"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 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. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.” Isaiah 43:18-21
In just a few days, should the Lord tarry His appearing in the air, we will say farewell to 2013 and hello to 2014 and another new year. During many of the opportunities that I have had to teach other preachers or church staff, I will often recommend that each individual take what I call a "30,000 foot view". This consists of a four part process of evaluating what progress has been made in the ministry or in business (used in a previous issue of toencourage: 1) Granular View, 2) In the Weeds, 3) Above the Weeds and 4) The 30,000 Foot View). This exercise is performed once or twice a year and is not designed to see where we are going, but rather as a look-back to see where we have been. It offers us the opportunity to reflect upon where we have been led by the Lord and what He has accomplished through us from the last time the 30,000 foot evaluation was performed. The reason I suggest employing this 30,000 foot view over our lives just once or twice a year is because if we spend too much time looking back at "the former things", we may become distracted and take our eyes off of the path we are intended to follow. As we reflect upon the past year and look forward to the new, we can build upon what we have experienced. The Lord has guided us through numerous mighty and wonderful circumstances during the past year and those victories which have been achieved encourage us to move forward in the direction the Lord reveals to us each day.
Should we see the new year, we can be assured that there are new things that God has prepared for each one of us which may include new destinations involving a new determination. We would be gravely mistaken to engage in a search for new revelations or new doctrines in the Word of God, for His Word is perfect and without void or error of any sort. We must not fall prey to the beliefs of the Athenians who "... spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing." (Acts 17:21) The new year and any new things prepared for us by God will include the continual light of understanding found in the Scriptures and the application of them in our lives to the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus Christ.
My hope and prayer for all of you who follow this writing is that 2014 will involve a new and fresh Adoration of God. Looking back upon the victories of 2013 and pressing forward into the new year, we can know and trust that the Lord Who has blessed us during the past year will do so again through 2014. We can then offer praises in a greater manner to the One who gives His never ending love for the life of those, His bride.
The Lord’s new thing is not only a fresh adoration for Himself, but also a clear and pure Approach. As we reflect on the past year, we will undoubtedly find places where we made the wrong turn in a direction not in keeping with the will of God. There is a good chance, however, that somewhere along the line the Lord will allow for a course correction, thus placing us where He ultimately intended for us to be. Pain is a good teacher and there is much to learn from our disobedience and wayward choices. From these we learn, so that when faced with similar choices in the new year, we will choose the clean and pure approach in our service to God keeping us on the path of His perfect will.
Finally, when our approach to the Lord is clear and pure with a new and fresh adoration of God, we will find that God’s blessings are Abundant. As our lives are mostly spent in the tedium and minutiae of daily activities, abundant blessings, security and spiritual renewal can be found in God’s loving hands.
Encouragement during the dark and discouraging episodes of our lives and the peace, happiness and joy found in the brightest days are granted through the goodness of God’s love and grace. We must learn from the former things while looking forward to the new with an appreciation and understanding that God has not only blessed us in the days of yesteryear, but also that the Lord’s goodness is bestowed afresh day by day. "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” (II Corinthians 4:16) May God bless you richly in the new year! Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth… I wish you all a blessed and happy new year.
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