You ain’t seen nothing yet ∙∙
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. – Isaiah 43:19
Revelation 21:5-6 Behold, I am making everything new! It is finished!
On May 17, 1971, the musical Godspell opened off-Broadway. Composed by Stephen Schwartz, this modern-day song-and-dance production is based on the Gospel of St. Matthew. The 2011 revival ran on Broadway from October 13, 2011, to June 24, 2012.
Godspell presents a series of the Lord Jesus Christ’s parables, interspersed with music primarily set to lyrics from traditional hymns, culminating in the passion of Christ. The show features several remarkably entertaining and poignant songs.
Among them are Day by Day
Day by day, Day by day
Oh Dear Lord, Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day
Suppose a child of the King chooses to walk with the Father day by day; where do they begin? Where do spiritual renewal and formation start? The first step is to recognize that spiritual renewal comes from God. Our goal should not be to seek the experience of renewal itself but to seek the One who renews our spirit.
The Father redirects our thinking, teaching us to shift our focus from the daily necessities of life to seeking God first.
Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
“Spiritual renewal doesn’t come from seeking spiritual renewal. That only results in a temporary emotional high lacking the true substance that God can provide. Instead, seek God and surrender your will to His. Let it be your first thought each morning when you start your day” (Steve Arterburn).
The Exodus from Egypt reveals the ways of the Father, presenting a repeatable pattern. “It is his standard modus operandi with us, through the finished work of Christ on the cross” (Ortlund and Hughes). The Exodus is a story of redemption, where the people of Israel were freed from slavery and given the freedom to worship the Father in a completely new way.
The Father continually echoes the spirit of the Exodus in the lives of His children, redeeming them from the bondage of sin so they may worship Him in increasingly profound and heartfelt ways.
As children of the King, walking with the Father renews us day by day. This renewal is not external; it takes place within.
2 Corinthians 4:16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed day by day.
REFLECT & PRAY
“God loves new things: new songs, new hearts, new heavens, new earth, new names. We should not always look for Him to do in our lives what He has done before, but should learn to expect the unexpected” (Stanley).
Father, thank You that You are always prepared to begin something new in our lives as we seek to walk with You day by day.
INSIGHT
Isaiah 43 concerns a not-too-distant future time when the Jewish people would be in Babylonian captivity. The Exodus from Egypt provides a pattern for future exodus-like redemption. The past provides an example of the Father’s miracle-working power. “God’s past actions provide the foundation for his present and future works because his nature is unchanging” (Briley). The Jewish exiles are to trust the Father and depend upon Him for redemption from Babylon.
Isaiah 43:19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
The Father is about to do something new for Israel. From His eternal perspective, the Babylonian captivity is already over. It simply has to be worked out in time. This latest act will be both innovative and unexpected, much like a sprout emerging from barren soil. “He would do for the captives in Babylon what He had done for their ancestors in Egypt, namely, make a highway for them through the wilderness and provide them with water (Exodus 17). Instead of turning a sea into dry land, He would turn the dry land into waterways (cf. Isaiah 35:6-7)” (Constable).
As children of the King, we are called to actively apply the timeless principles of our faith to our present-day circumstances instead of solely dwelling on past memories and longing for the “good old days.”
“God never acts out of character, but a part of his character is that he never runs out of new ideas. And he is able in amazing new ways to reenact the exodus in your life and to lead you through some Red Sea barrier confronting you today” (Ortlund and Hughes).
2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
A whole new way of life is now open to every child of the King. However, this can only be realized through faith in the Father, the living God. Unfortunately, many children of the King have lost their sense of the presence and reality of the living God in their lives. How do we get it back? It starts with choosing to walk with Him day by day. We need to humble ourselves and ask the Father for help.
Just as the Father helped and promised to help Israel, He also helps every child of the King.
Isaiah 43:22-44:11
22 But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me, O Israel!
25 I – yes, I alone – will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.
6 This is what the LORD says – Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies: “I am the First and the Last; there is no other God.”
8 Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses – is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock – not one!”
22 I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.”
23 Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done this wondrous thing. Shout for joy, O depths of the earth! Break into song, O mountains, and forests and every tree! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob and is glorified in Israel.
Renewal and spiritual formation begin within us. “Reformation is the recovery of God’s purpose for us. Revival is the recovery of God’s life in us. God loves to renew confused and tired people . . .. What, then, is reformation? Reformation is God renewing in our hearts a passionate clarity about his purpose for us. It is God reawakening in us a love for his truth and his standards. It is God preparing us for the display of his glorious salvation as we reshape every aspect of our lives . . ..” (Ortlund and Hughes).
We have only to seek the Father in our need and ask for help. A new beginning awaits. The best is yet to come! You ain’t seen nothing yet!
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© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 