All Things New
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Which camp are you in when it comes to “new” things? Do you get excited for new adventures, or do you prefer a comfortable routine? Does your heart quicken at the thought of a trendy new outfit, or do you gravitate toward your reliable, broken-in jeans?
Me? I’m a tried-and-true sort of gal. I sometimes even bring old, worn-out shoes to the department store and beg, “Could you please find me something just like these?”
It is, once again, time for a new year of Mom to Mom ministry. And many of our groups are approaching this ministry year with new techniques for protecting one another during this pandemic. New mask requirements, new hybrid online small group models, new methods for providing childcare. Does all this newness make you excited or wary? Or maybe you are feeling weary and weepy after this time of intense hardship and loss. It has been a heartbreaking time in history.
Amid this uncertainty, it may be reassuring to remember that we may be surprised by new things happening all around us, but God is never caught by surprise. Our God is omniscient, meaning He knows everything about the past and the future—even before it happens. He is the God of new things!
In Isaiah chapter 43, God’s word reminds the people about the miracles He performed when bringing them out of slavery in Egypt. And we can almost hear the excitement in His words when He tells the people that He isn’t finished yet.
“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 wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”
In essence, God is telling the people, “Do you remember all the miraculous things I did? Well, just you wait! I have something even greater planned for you.” God is setting the stage for the New Covenant. The Messiah. Jesus!
The book of Isaiah is filled with these hints and clues about the future Messiah. Isaiah is, in fact, the Old Testament book quoted most often in the New Testament. Jesus is the “new thing” that God was talking about all those years ago.
So, as we embark on this new season in Mom to Mom, with many elements that feel new and different, I remind myself that God makes new things all the time—for our good and for His glory. And I can get excited about that.