Isaiah 43:16-19
“Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: ‘Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.’”
I wear a ring that is called “Beautifully Broken.” It reminds me of how God used a period of suffering to grow my faith and foster compassion for others. I also have a journal in which I have commemorated very specific ways God has intervened and answered prayers in my life. These are my spiritual markers.
When my faith was shaky, when I struggled to see God in my circumstances, those spiritual markers encouraged me.
Last week we used Isaiah 43:16-19 to identify three ways God encouraged Israel to shift their gaze to Him during a wilderness season. Today we examine the first:
God reminded them of how He had moved on their behalf in the past.
In Isaiah 43:16-17, the Israelites were reminded of God’s powerful intervention on their behalf when he lead them out of captivity in Egypt. The imagery of making a way in the sea reminded them of God parting the waters of the Red Sea for their escape. The images of extinguishing horse and chariot, army and warrior, reminded them of how the Egyptian army was destroyed when they attempted to pursue Israel.
This past message of deliverance was meant to bolster Israel’s faith and give them hope. You see, this passage of Isaiah was prophetic. The people were being warned that they would face defeat and exile as a nation.
Yet God remained their God. The God who had already shown He could deliver them from any power, any bondage. This supernatural escape from Egypt was an important spiritual marker for them.
Like the Israelites, we, too, need to remember our own spiritual markers. For the God who walked with us in those moments is the same God walking with us now.
Sister, hear me. If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, the same power that set you free from your sin is still at work on your behalf.
So in the midst of your wilderness season, remember God’s past faithfulness.
Recall a time when God:
- answered a prayer
- provided for a need
- sent comfort in an unexpected way
- set you free from a particular sin
- sent someone to minister to you just when you needed it
When we intentionally think on these things, it anchors our faith and reminds us that God works for our good.
God’s history of goodness softens our hearts in the barren seasons of life.
Until next time,
Shelby
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