«Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up» (Isaiah 43:18, 19, NIV).
EVERY YEAR, authorities in Miami-Dade County, where I live, send their residents a guide titled Are You Ready?, an official guide for everyone to take all necessary safety measures in the event of a hurricane. And, although hurricane season officially begins June 1, the guide specifies that «the sooner you get started [preparing], the better.»
One of the key recommendations in the manual is to prepare an emergency kit. Among other things, the kit should include a gallon of water per person per day, canned foods, a can opener, medication, a flashlight, a radio, batteries, disinfectant … In other words, since no one knows whether the unexpected guest will arrive, it’s best to be ready.
The beginning of a new year brings many hopes with it, but also memories of failures, of suffering, of loss, of experiences that cast a shadow on our lives and snatch away our dreams. Therefore, we should ask ourselves: Are we ready to begin this new year with all it implies? I believe we need a kit to help us come out unscathed, and the Bible tells us everything that should be in it! The Bible is the instruction manual par excellence, the guide for life we should all follow.
The prophet Isaiah shares two recommendations that are essential for those of us who want to be prepared for the challenges this new year will bring: «Do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?» (Isaiah 43:18, 19, NIV). The first notion is this: «Do not dwell on the past.» Obsessed with the past, we stop enjoying the present and become depressed. Facing a new year challenges us to forget the past that fuels our desire to complain about what we have lost. The second notion is to believe this wonderful promise: «I am doing a new thing!»
Leaving the past behind us, let’s begin to enjoy the new thing God has for each of us. Our God will put all His creativity into action, to do wonderful new things this year. Let’s add these two elements to our kit, and not only will we be ready for a successful 2023, but also for something good to come out of it in terms of our personal growth and faith in God; in other words, for God to do a new thing with us as well.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate
