Saturday Reading: Isaiah 43:16-21
Key Verse: Isaiah 43:19
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.
Devotion:
How many times have you felt really down in the dumps because of what has happened in the past? Have you been able to move on from some horrible things in your past, or are you still hanging on to them? Whilst we could argue from both sides, that it is right to remember the things from the past and that it is right to forget about them. God points out that in cases where we are being held back, we need to look forward.
I started a new venture a few months back (now43.org.uk) where we are looking forward because what has happened in the past is holding people back. We are bringing new ideas to the table as well as showing people that God’s Word does not say that we must remain the same all the time. Yes, God’s Word does remain the same and God will never change, but we live in a world where everything changes all the time. In order to make sure that we do get the most from God’s Word, I believe that we have to re-apply it to the world as it is now.
This does not mean changing The Word, but changing the way people look at The Word. God’s Word is as up to date now as it will always be and that means we can always apply it to our lives, no matter what generation we are from! We are trying to show the young people here in our community that a life with God means so much more than all the latest hi tech gear and all the latest gadgets. God’s Word gives us life more abundantly than anything like that and it is worth reading and living by.
What Isaiah says here is that God can show us new ways in which we can spread the gospel. He shows us new ways in which we can reach out to others. He shows us new ways in which He loves us; that amazing and unchanging love that encompasses the past, present and future – if only we will look at it and see. So why not talk to someone today about how God does things here and now for you personally so that they will be encouraged to listen next time they hear it!
Points to Ponder:
Are you stuck in the past?
Are you keeping God’s Word with you?
Saturday 28 Dec 2013
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