“Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19
God wants us to soar to greater heights in our spiritual life. We should never be satisfied after some initial excitement like little children. You know children like something new. If they don’t care for one toy, then a father tries to buy a new one. Sometimes though we have grown in many years, we still have that childish tendency and trait.
Now that very often happens. The old problems, tears, conflicts and the old defeats are still looming large. And you may say, hey, what is new? Of course, you are closer to the grave by yet another year! That is all.
We see that both great men and ordinary people don’t see anything drastically new when a new year comes around. But when you truly taste the Lord Jesus, oh you feel that you have only touched the hem of his garment! As for me, I feel like a little child. Oh, as I look at my Almighty Saviour, and when I hear Him say, “All power is given to me in heaven and in earth,” I say, what a miserable representation or representative of yourself am I in this world! I am not showing forth your glory! There comes an excitement, oh I must reach out to greater things and I must see millions of people, even billions touched by God in this New Year. If there is anybody in the subcontinent or Asia or in the whole world, who has never heard that Jesus makes them a new creation, oh it is your fault and my fault! Instead of showing the joy that is in Jesus, we are miserable ambassadors and we are not the light of the world.
God says, “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Yes, God can make a way in the wilderness of your life! Some people are addicted to evil habits and they feel like prisoners. But God says, I will do a new thing. Yes, He is the one who gives you a new heart and a new spirit. He is the one who makes you a new creation. And he is the one who says, I will make all things new.
Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life”. Who can ever say such a thing except Jesus? If you look at your own life, you will see a lot of selfishness. And you know today, young people have lot of money in their pockets. I don’t know whether they torment their parents. I would not even ask my father for a rupee because I could see that my father was giving everything he had for the work of God. I had my food; I had my clothing. Why do I need a lot of money in my pocket? My parents gave us a very happy home. We didn’t have a lot of furniture and polished stuff. We were an ordinary family. But my father had an extraordinary Saviour and he brought this great Saviour into our home. What a marvelous home he gave!
When we talk about a new thing, we want a new family, i.e., a family with a new heart. And then you know when the family moves ahead it is like a setting up a great power plant. When you pray together, when you labour together, the blessing spreads. That is what took place in my parent’s life. Revival broke out. Murderers turned into prophets. Drunkards turned overnight into mighty men who healed so many thousands. New things!
Don’t you need a new faith, a new love, and a new humility in this New Year. Oh I need it! Don’t you? I want a new walk with God and a new brokenness. I want Jesus. I don’t know what the future holds. You know my breath is in my nostrils, like yours. But I am never afraid. Where is your faith in the midst of hardship and calamity? We need a new vision for His Kingdom in this New Year.
—Joshua Daniel