Do not recall what happened of yore!
I am about to do something new;
Even now it shall come to pass,
Suddenly you shall perceive it:
I will make a road through the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
The wild beast shall honor Me,
Jackals and ostriches,
For I provide water in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people,
The people I formed for Myself
That they might declare my praise.Isaiah 43:18-21
This is one of my favorite scriptures . . . I love to read about a God who is doing a new thing, who calls God’s own to receive it, to be excited about it, for this new thing is freedom itself.
I have quoted this scripture many times at church meetings. The church has a difficulty with change, I try to say that God is also in the change and uses that change to provide freedom to us.
Then why do I fear change so much? Why as a leader I struggle when I am called to change or when the change called for is not of my own suggestion?
These moments of self awareness help me be more patient with the people that God has given me to care for, empower, and lead. If I have difficulty and they are human just like me, then it makes sense that they also would have difficulty with change.
We must get beyond the fear and anxiety and embrace God’s invitation to be freed from our exile. God is preparing the way, making the way, and will guide us in that way if we are willing to go.
This does not mean that we are not going to be afraid. It is easy to get comfortable where we are, we have gotten accustomed to our way of life. Sometimes we know that our life together is not what it needs to be but we still resist the unknown.
Our invitation is to get ready, take risks, for the way of God, the way of freedom, is worth the change. The “something new” is the promise of new life!