Something New is Springing Forth
One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you.
Joshua 23:10
Have you ever felt as though life was moving forward, but nothing was changing? Ever felt like you were walking in circles and going nowhere? Ever felt like life was as dry as the desert sand?
This promise is a reminder that God has not finished His work in you. God is already preparing a new work in your life today.
Even if you can’t feel it or see it, God is at work to bring about something new in your life. He loves you too much to leave you where you are. His goals and plans for you are greater than you can ever imagine.
Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes you find yourself walking through the barren wilderness, and other times, you trek through a dry and dusty desert. This promise is a reminder that wherever you find yourself today, God is preparing something new.
Isaiah wrote these words to a people who were discouraged and in deep despair. They had experienced the pain of God’s judgment for their disobedience and were living in exile. They had lost their identity, their confidence was shattered, and their future was uncertain.
Have you ever felt discouraged with little hope for the future?
The prophet begins by boldly declaring that God is about to do something new and unexpected. The God who parted the Red Sea was about to do a new work on their behalf. God is working behind the scenes to bring about something new in you as well.
The prophet begins the verse with a powerful exclamation: “Behold.” We don’t use that word much these days. In fact, I can’t remember a time in the recent past when I have said, “Behold.”
Behold is an Old Testament expression that means, “Hey, pay attention. You don’t want to miss this!” God is saying to His people, “Stop and listen, I am about to do something completely unexpected.”
God’s New Work
God is not talking about a simple improvement, but a divine intervention. God loves new things. Every sunrise and every new year testifies to the God who delights in new beginnings.
In verse 18, God says something surprising. “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.” Why would God tell His people to forget about His provision of the past? This is the God who parted the Red Sea and delivered them from Egypt.
God wasn’t asking them to forget His faithfulness, but to focus on the new work He was about to bring about. His “new thing” was going to be far greater than what He had done before.
In the wilderness, God provided just enough for survival. He brought manna every morning and water from the rock. But now God was preparing to move them to promise, stability, and abundance.
We have fond memories of the “good ol’ days” and the moments when God moved. But God is never confined to yesterday. He is never limited to what He has done before. With every new generation, God is doing something new.
The word “New” in this verse refers to something that is not only fresh but also transformative. When God brings about a new work, everything changes.
When God sent the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, it was a new thing. This new thing changed everything. The disciples who had scattered when Jesus was crucified were transformed into bold witnesses who would carry the Gospel to the world. God’s new thing brings life, joy, and empowerment.
What is the new thing God has done in your life? If you have put your faith in Jesus, He has given you a new life, a new nature, a new family, and a new home waiting in heaven.
Now it Will Spring Forth
The Hebrew word underlying “spring forth” carries a botanical meaning that goes beyond mere emergence. It describes a plant sprouting from the soil. Yesterday, there was nothing there, but today, new life has begun. The plant “springs forth” from the dry ground.
It’s also the image of a budding tree. Yesterday, the tree looked dry and dead, but today, life is appearing on all the branches. Little sprouts of life are everywhere.
It evokes the image of life bursting from the ground. “Springing forth” implies a sudden explosion of life and renewal.
Just as Israel received guidance and water in the wilderness between the Red Sea and Canaan, this new deliverance manifests God’s power and love with even greater intensity.
Spring forth suggests life that cannot be contained; it is growth that pushes through the dry soil and refuses to remain hidden. Something alive and growing with unstoppable force. God’s future interventions will be so remarkable that even the memory of the Red Sea will pale in comparison.
The new work God is preparing right now is not a repeat of yesterday, but a new work designed for where you are now, and all that is before you.
Will You Not be Aware of it?
After declaring that something new was coming, God asked the question: “Will you not be aware of it?” The issue is not whether God is working. He has already said that a new thing is springing up. The question is, will we recognize it?
We can miss the new work God is doing in at least three ways.
- We’re stuck in the past. Israel could have easily missed what God was about to do because they were still grieving what they had lost. Exile had stripped away everything. It is so easy to focus on what has gone wrong in the past, or what we have lost, that we can’t see anything else. When you focus on what is gone, you can’t see what is growing. To recognize what God is doing, you have to let go of the past and trust Him for tomorrow.
- We expect God to work the same way He did before. We want God to do it again. We remember that church meeting, that retreat, or that period of time when God was moving. There is nothing wrong with remembering God’s faithfulness, but nostalgia can blind us to the grace God is releasing in the present.
- We are distracted by discouragement. Discouragement is a powerful weapon in the enemy’s tool chest. Discouragement can cloud our vision and distort our thinking. God’s questions invite us to lift our eyes from the dust of the wilderness and look for the signs of God’s new work.
The new thing God is doing is not dependent on your strength, but on your awareness. Take a moment to slow down and pay attention. Look at your life through the lens of faith. You might just see the ground cracking and a shoot of new life pushing through.
A Roadway in the Wilderness
The Children of God certainly knew about the wilderness. For forty years, they had traveled through the desolate wasteland. Because of their disobedience, an eleven-day trip became forty years of wandering.
The wilderness is a place of transition. It is in the wilderness that we learn dependence. God leads us through the wilderness to move us from where we are to where He wants us to be. It only took a few weeks for God to get His people out of Egypt, but it would take forty years to get Egypt out of His people.
In the wilderness, it feels like there is no clear direction, no obvious path, and no progress.
It’s easy to get lost in the wilderness. In 2009, researcher Jan Souman tested whether people really do walk in circles when they are lost. He attached a GPS device to volunteers as they walked through the Sahara Desert. They discovered that without an external reference point or landmark, they could not maintain a straight line. Many of the participants actually walked in large circles, looping back to where they started without realizing it. They needed a reference point in order to stay on course. The same is true with us today; without a fixed point of reference, our most sincere efforts lead in circles.
In the wilderness, God promises a roadway. You may not see the entire road. You may only see a few steps, but that is enough. God rarely reveals the entire journey all at once. Usually, He gives you the next few steps, and then the next.
If you are in the wilderness right now, uncertain about the future, unsure of your direction, and wondering how things will turn out, remember this promise. God makes roads where there are none. If He has led you into the wilderness, He is faithful to lead you through it.
Rivers in the Desert
God promises more than providing a road in the wilderness; He makes rivers in the desert. A road gives direction, but a river gives life.
In the desert, water is scarce, food is limited, and it’s hard to find shelter from the sun. The desert is a place of extremes. You’re either sweltering in the burning sun or freezing in the desert night. In the desert, it’s a struggle just to survive. It’s the place where strength fades, and hope dries up.
Almost all of us have had those desert experiences where our dreams die, our hope withers, and the joy of living turns into simple survival.
The promise of “rivers” speaks of God’s more-than-enough provision. God promises more than a watering hole or a tiny stream. He promises multiple rivers in the desert.
In the desert, water means life. A river changes everything. Alongside the river, plants and trees grow. The atmosphere is cooler, and the trees provide shade from the hot, baking sun. What was once barren is now fruitful.
When God brings rivers into your desert, He restores your joy and removes the heaviness that once lived. He renews your strength when all you had was weariness. He awakens your hope when all you had was despair.
Throughout Scripture, water often symbolizes the Holy Spirit. God not only brings abundant provision in the desert, but He also empowers you with the Holy Spirit. You can have peace when all you see is desert sand. You will find a marked path when everyone else is wandering in the wilderness.
One final thought. Not every wilderness or desert experience is a punishment. God often does some of his best work on the backside of the desert. God met Moses at the burning bush, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. God can use the wilderness and the desert as a training ground for your life. Sometimes God takes you through the wilderness or desert just before He does a new thing.
When you face the desert of your days, and life is dry and hopeless, claim this promise of rivers in the desert. Be on the lookout for the new thing God is about to do. Look for the rivers God is providing. Expect His abundant provision. The dryness of today is not the end of your story. Rivers are coming!
Isaiah 43:19 is not just a promise for ancient Israel. It is a declaration of God’s character and love for you and me. The God who promised a new work in their lives is the same God who is at work today.
He is still calling us to watch for His new work. He still brings life where there was none. He makes a clear path in our confusing wilderness, and He still brings abundant rivers of life to the dry places of our souls.
The wilderness is not your destination; it’s a season of passing through. The desert is not your identity because God has already promised refreshing rivers.
The God who parted the sea, who led the Children of Israel through the wilderness, and who brought water from the rock is the same God who is still at work today.
He is still the God of new things, and He is not finished with you yet.
Leave A Comment