The Joy of Forgetting

16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,
making a dry path through the sea.
17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt
with all its chariots and horses.
I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,
their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.

18 “But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
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.
20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me,
the jackals and owls, too,
for giving them water in the desert.
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
so my chosen people can be refreshed.
21 I have made Israel for myself,
and they will someday honor me before the whole world.

Do you like new stuff? Many of us do. Part of the excitement for kids as they open presents at Christmas or on their birthday is that they're getting something new. Older family members may get excited about new clothing, a new vehicle, or even the fresh smell of new carpet in their home.

Yes, we like new things. But it's also possible to get stuck in the past. Some of us may have a nostalgic hope that we can recover the "good old days," and others of us may be locked face to face with a past we can't ­escape. Maybe we feel stuck by the circumstances of a broken home, or of sins we now regret, or of injustice that has been done to us.

Though Christians do not ­ignore the past, faith in Christ always challenges us to look forward. Our goal is not "change for the sake of change," as if new things by themselves could give us hope and fulfillment. But Isaiah reminds us of the only One who brings lasting change: "I am doing a new thing!" God says.

We can find joy in forgetting our past only when our future rests on the change Christ works in us. Because of the cross, we can experience the joy of forgetting our sinful past (Philippians 3:13-14) and pressing on as new people in Jesus Christ.

God of new beginnings, thank you for a fresh start in Christ. Help us to leave behind our sin and to live joyfully for him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.