“The Lord says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”
Isaiah 43:18-19
I remember hearing a sermon one Sunday morning in which the preacher said, “There’s a reason the rearview mirror is so much smaller than the windshield. What’s in front is much more important than what’s behind.”
For those that may not be familiar with what that means, most cars have a windshield and a rearview mirror. The windshield is the large window that drivers look through to see what is in front of them. The rearview mirror is a small mirror usually mounted at the top of the windshield, that allows the driver a glimpse of what is behind them as well. The windshield is much, much bigger.
So often, though, we can find ourselves focusing on that rearview mirror so hard that we don’t even look at the road ahead of us. That is, we dwell on the past rather than looking ahead to the future.
In this verse from Isaiah, we are reminded of the futility of looking behind rather than ahead. Whether there is something sad, shameful, or painful in your past that you can’t get over, or something good that you don’t want to leave behind, it is holding you back from the future that God has for you.
The verse says “I am doing a new thing!” It’s a beautiful promise from God that you are not finished. He is always working. He has a plan for something new, something good. He isn’t finished with you. No sin or shame from the past can disqualify you. No pinnacle of achievement means that you can’t still do good things. God’s kingdom is always moving toward the new, not dwelling on the past.
If you believe in God and in his son, Jesus, then you yourself have been made new. You’re a new creation. So why focus on the old things? They’ve passed away. Set your eyes ahead to the new that God has planned for you.
Prayer:
Father,
Help me not to dwell on the past. I thank you for the good times in my past, and I pray for forgiveness for the failures in my past. I ask that you help me to move past them all, and look forward to the good work that you have in store for me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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