Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
May 25, 2023
Isaiah 43:18-21
18 Don’t remember the prior things; don’t ponder ancient history. 19 Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness. 20 The beasts of the field, the jackals and ostriches, will honor me because I have put water in the desert and streams in the wilderness to give water to my people, my chosen ones, 21 this people whom I formed for myself, who will recount my praise.
Good Morning; Our journey is moving forward to eternal life!
Time is one of those exciting topics. When we are children, time seems to move so slowly. We eagerly anticipate holidays and special events that seem as if they will never arrive. I remember in my younger years thinking, “I wish it were tomorrow, next week, or even next year.” When my friends and I were fifteen, we couldn’t wait to turn sixteen to get our driver’s licenses.
Then suddenly, years have passed, our children are grown, and we wonder where the time went. We stop wishing away time and become more focused on enjoying the moment. Perhaps this happens because, as children, our future is beyond our imagination, and life is infinite. The older we become, we become all too aware that earthly life has an ending, and it’s approaching more quickly than we want. Now we want to slow down the minutes and the hours to have a little more time to enjoy our families.
In Isaiah, we read that we shouldn’t ponder the past, the ancient things. Regardless of our season of life, we are always moving forward. We begin each day at a new point in time. We wake up in the same bed, but it is the next day. We have moved forward another seven days when we come together and worship on Sundays. Each step we take is another move forward in time.
Our past, our memories, and even the church’s past are filled with wonderful things: important stories, lessons learned, and precious memories. Isaiah is not telling us that our memories are bad but that we must not get stuck in those memories. Our world and our lives belong to God, whose domain is in perpetual motion. Each day is a new day brimming with infinite possibilities. We, God’s people, and we, the church, are called to embrace this movement forward. If we continue to live in “1950”, we will fail in our mission to God.
Accepting change is hard, but seeking change and being the impetus of change is even more challenging. We must not let our feet become mired in the past. Today is a new day! What new thing shall we try today?
Loving God, We thank you for Your blessings. We revel in our past accomplishments. The older we become, the more we resist change. Open our minds and hearts to being the change you want us to seek. Thank You! In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: I can move on to new things because God moves with me.
Time is moving forward: Don’t get left behind! Pastor Liz
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