New Rivers From Old Deserts: Isaiah 43:18-26 Pt. 1
The Promise - 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? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

God Promises A New Thing

God, through Isaiah, gave His people a promise. A promise of a new thing, something that would be sudden and spontaneous. Something so startling and new that it would supersede everything that had been done by God in the past. He had delivered them through the Red Sea when they were trapped by the Army of Egypt but now that would be eclipsed by his deliver Israel from Babylon, where they would be captives.

This deliverance would spring forth in such a way that they could not help but see it. “Shall ye not know it? He asks them. “I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Pushing Past The Past

It easy after the year we have just had, or after a series of personal set-backs and losses, to lose perspective, to only see more of the same difficulties coming right at you. You may feel like a person caught in the middle of a train trestle and yep, just what I though, there’s the train whistle.

Or like this Ogden Nash poem about the new year

“Tonight’s December thirty-first,
Something is about to burst.
The clock is crouching, dark and small,
Like a time bomb in the hall.
Hark, it’s midnight, children dear.
Duck! Here comes another year!” - Ogden Nash

In those kind of times we often retreat into our warfare trenches of duty, tighten our helmets of salvation and just hang on. Grin and bear it. Its easy, at times like that, times like this, to miss the promise of new, fresh, joyous blessings found in our relationship with God.

Its at times like that, we need to hear a passage like Isaiah 48, reminding us that  God is always working to bring new blessing, new hope, new joy to his people.

This new thing according to God’s word would be...

Spontaneous. "It shall spring forth." Not the same routine, not a rut, not another day of survival, but something fresh and new, something of joy and wonder.

This new thing will be Superior. "A way in the wilderness." Better than that old rut we’ve worn into our wanderings, but now God would pave a highway through the barren places. A highway for us to walk with Him.

This new thing would also be Satisfying, like a cool river in the hot, dry desert. God’s new thing brings refreshment to the soul for all who have become dry and parched walking those old ruts through the wilderness and drinking flat, stale water from an old bag.

I don’t know about you, actually, yes I do know about you, because we have all been through these tough times. We have been frightened, we have been locked down, we have been lied to, we have been robbed of time and then robbed of those we would have spent that time with. We need the promise of God’s new thing. We as God’s people need to hear that God hasn’t forgotten us, hasn’t abandoned us in the desert but is busy building a highway for us to walk on and new rivers of blessing for us to find refreshment for our souls.

With God there is always something spontaneous, ready to spring forth. Something superior, showing us God’s power and something so satisfying tha we will forget how hard life can be. If I can see it and believe it, then I will experience it, God making a new blessing that makes even the unbearable a victory.

I think Paul understood this in his life. He wrote in Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Illustration: Promises on Death March

Philip Crosby, in his book March Till They Die, tells of a forced march of American and European soldiers in Korea. In November of 1950, the North Koreans were being pushed north, and they were taking with them the Americans and Europeans they had captured as prisoners of war. It was a terrible march. They were forced to go sometimes twenty miles a day though they were emaciated, hungry, suffering. Soldiers who couldn't keep up would fall back, and shots rang out. They had been executed.

Philip Crosby and his friends, as they passed close to those GI's who were having a hard time keeping up, would say slowly in a whisper, so as not to be heard, "God is near us in this dark hour. His love is real. His mercy is real. His forgiveness is real. His reward is waiting for us." - Don McCullough, "Reasons to Fear Easter," Preaching Today, Tape No. 116.

Can you imagine what that must have been like? You’re trudging along, hungry, cold and not know where you are going and then you hear a voice whisper, “God is near us…” Today that’s what we need to hear from Isaiah, God is near us and He is bringing a blessing out of the dark, dry walk through the desert.