Isaiah
43:18-19 Holman
Christian Standard Bible
18 “Do not remember the past events,
pay
no attention to things of old.
19 Look, I am about to do something new;
even
now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Indeed, I will make a way in the
wilderness,
rivers in the desert.
Happy New Year!
We have started the new year off with what is predicted to
be a week of rain. The week of Christmas was also a week of rain. This is the
desert: if this keeps up, we will have flowing rivers, not just arroyos. But
our verse this morning is not really speaking about rain and rivers.
Our God has watched the earth degenerate into dystopia.
Everyone with a phone has lost all privacy; their every move and every word are
being monitored. You can run, but you cannot hide. I have friends who are now
living “off the grid.” They generate their own electricity, pump their own
water, live in mountainous regions, grow their own food, and provide their own
sanitation. They are independent, totally. But, are they? They rely on local
peace keepers, fire protection, emergency services, medical providers, road
maintainers. I envy them! They pay taxes for these services. They are in the
United States of America, which celebrates its 250 years of independence this
year. They all use cell phones, which monitors their every conversation and
every trip they make.
America has offered freedom and opportunity to millions of
people. Looking at its actions over the past year, one begins to wonder if all
that has changed. It appears we have banished thousands of people from our
country without due process of law. Today, we doubled or worse the healthcare
bills of some 20 million Americans by brute force. We fired thousands of
federal employees, purely to line wealthier peoples’ pockets.
In our text, God encourages us to forget the past. He senses
that things are changing. He, too, is changing His plans. As a church project
this year, I read the Old Testament. I couldn’t help but notice how the
prophets kept urging God’s people to give up idolatry, quit abusing the poor,
widows, and orphans, and keep the Sabbath holy. There was no positive response.
Eventually, God decided that there would be no response. So, He literally
destroyed His people. In fact, he had the heathen do the job for Him.
In the book of Revelation God spells out His final actions
on those who continue to rebel against Him. He will pour out his wrath without
mercy (Revelation 14), will cover the earth with the seven last plagues
(Revelation 16), and eventually burn all sin and sinners, including the Devil
in a great lake of fire (Revelation 20) Sin and sinners will be no more. Peace
and love will reign forever.
What can we do? Yield to His promise of grace and mercy now
while there is still a small amount of time left. If we delay, we will be swept
along with the uncaring masses into oblivion and annihilation. If the promises
of God are merely spam, all of us will end up there. If His promises are real,
we have eternity to win. It is the only chance we have. Please join me.
Dear Lord,
thank You for bearing our sins for us and granting us the possibility of eternal
joy and bliss with You according to our choice.
