Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. (NIV)
18 “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. 19 Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. (Msg)
In seeking the Lord and asking him for a special verse, just for me, I was impressed with a few things. How do you start this kind of search? For me, it started with brainstorming in prayer. If this verse is for my life, then how would I describe my life, how would the Lord describe my life, and what scripture applies to those things?
Words that came to mind in the beginning were:
- Adventure (I use that word a lot)
- Endeavor
- Treasure
- Dare
- Radical
- Different / Weird (no, really?)
- Stranger / Alien
Many of the verses that I would consider foundational to my faith came to me as well –
- Be still and know that I am God;
- But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well; And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
- Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
- Etc.
Through it all, kind of above the process, an assurance kept coming up, over and over:
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11
This verse wasn’t my life verse – I sensed that right away. This verse was more like the comforting hand in mine as I walked through the scriptures with the Lord.
It took me quite some time to work through the many different verses, to talk about them with the Lord and find out what he wanted me to know from them. For once, I felt content for it to take as long as it needed. I trusted that the Lord had something special for me if I would wait for it. I enjoyed my quiet times, searching the scriptures with the Lord.
But it wasn’t until I read
Karen’s post on Isaiah 43:18-19 that things started coming together.
NEW – different, not done before. This has come out as a theme time and time again. Do not dwell on the past —> Move Forward. Life is dynamic – if you aren’t moving forward, you’re going backwards. In the last 2 or 3 years, the Lord has really helped me to release some key issues from the past. I’ve been able to move past them, and continue to progress. Radical (thoroughgoing or extreme, esp. as regards change from accepted or traditional forms) faith, trust, and life-changing community living have been paramount principles to our ministry here where we are now.
Isaiah 32:2 says: “Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.” Those same words are used to describe the Lord before and after that in Isaiah. Men (and women) of the Lord will be sources of protection and blessing, and they will reflect Him.
The desert imagery is very strong for me, having myself moved away from the desert southwestern USA. If you’ve seen the splendor of the depth and width and majesty of the Grand Canyon, you know the power of a ‘stream of water in the desert’. If you’ve climbed into a vehicle with leather seats that has been locked up all day out in the sunshine in the middle of summer in the desert, you will understand the need for shade and what it means to be thirsty.
This idea of “springs” is also a strong picture in my mind. Springs can be hot and bubbly, or they can be cool and refreshing. Springs come from the deep, issuing forth from the ground and pouring out into the land surrounding them, whether in a trickle or a gush. The verse “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23) is of special significance since we have moved here (those of you who know me from church know why…). Not to mention how often (in the past) I’ve been compared to say, Tiggr from Winnie the Pooh, because of my bouncy approach to life. BOING! It is also no surprise to those who know me when I confess how much I love the season of Spring. Winter is over, spring is here (in Kingdom time, even if not in my time). New life is growing. Sprouts are shooting up. No matter how you look at it, “spring” means life.
“Do you not perceive it?” It may not be easily seen, but it IS happening. That specific message was given to me by our youth pastor’s wife when we were at a conference and mission trip together in Indonesia in November 2005:
“The Lord is working in you, even if it doesn’t feel like it. He is strong in you. It may be hard to see, but the work He is doing is for a deeper beauty, a deeper work.”
New doesn’t mean ‘easy’ (as in novice, just practicing, etc.). Streams cut through the land, sometimes almost violently, altering it irreversibly. Making new ways in the desert means lots of dust and cactus thorns, carving a safe path in a dangerous land. It’s an adventure, and the Trail-blazer is the only one who knows for sure where the paths will go, and where the streams will run. But, He also knows where the paths NEED to go, and He knows where the protection and blessing of the streams is most needed.
These (and probably many others I haven’t quite articulated yet) are the thoughts I’ve had regarding this Life Verse, My Life Verse. It seems tailor-made for me. My mind runs across all the connections and allusions and images associated with these verses and I’m excited to see how it fits together. My heart feels light and eager to see how this is going to play out in my life. I’m humbled and touched that the Lord would have something so special and personal just for me.
As for
My Life Goal that is meant to be derived from this passage, I don’t have a statement or phrase that encapsulates it all. Right now, it’s more of a
feeling, a sense of direction if you will. I can’t describe it except to say that there’s peaceful anticipation for specific things, and I don’t even know what those things are. I also have the peace in my heart that assures me that I don’t HAVE to have this goal written out to the letter now, or maybe ever. And I have given myself the grace to let it just be as it is (instead of insisting on getting all the details down on paper, RIGHT NOW).
This process has been unlike any other I have ever gone through. I’m so glad to have done it, that I persevered through interrupted quiet times and shorter sessions alone with the Lord than I would have preferred. In the end, it is definitely worth the time and effort. I trusted that what I needed would be given to me. I waited, and the Lord, once again, proved that He is faithful and true.
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
