Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?”
One of the funniest memes I’ve ever seen has been passed around on social media as of late. It is a picture of “Winter” storming out of the room, only to come back in to make his presence known again. The truth of this statement made us laugh boisterously, as we remember the calm days of what appeared to be the entrance of spring, only followed by more snow and freezing temperatures. Yes, this was a hard winter, for more reasons than one! And when it seemed like it would get better it often times got worse. This brought about several feelings. One of those feelings was apathy. When you have been in despair for too long, your sense of expectancy wanes and you forget that there is another season coming.
Such was the case with the children of Israel. Isaiah was unlike many of the prophets that we know of today. He rarely spoke about prosperity, and he didn’t have a very captive audience. Isaiah was a mouthpiece for God in a time of great suffering and correction. Many times when the people saw Isaiah coming they wanted to go the other way for fear of what he was going to say. The condition and morale of the children of Israel in Isaiah’s time was so dismal that they could not fully give heed to what he said. But in the 43rd chapter, Isaiah declares that the former things were passing away, and God was about to do a new thing. It was followed with the question of capacity. God was asking if they would be able to recognize it.
It is often in our greatest struggle that our greatest blessing is hidden. Our problem is not whether or not we can have it, but rather if we have the capacity to still be sensitive to it. Just like the cold temperatures often callous our hands and freeze our noses, trial and circumstance can often numb us to the shift that is coming. We must learn to endure hardships in this life with an understanding that the God who kept us while we were in the frustration will elevate us to the blessing. Frustration and agitation often nullify our expectation. Keep preparing, keep dreaming; for when you least expect it, God will shift. The shift doesn’t come as a result of a mean father waiting to torment us, but rather as a means of capacity. It is how you go through something that often determines how long you stay in it. And the blessing is not the lesson, but rather the experience of endurance. So whether you are waiting on winter to finally leave or waiting on your change to finally come, smile in your storm. God is doing a new thing.
– Modernday Lazurus
Cleo Dailey, III is a minister, freelance writer, and author who has written for several city and nation-wide publications. He is currently releasing his newest memoirs this summer while studying to obtain a degree in both English and Clinical Psychology in Peoria, IL.
The Traveler Weekly 