Rivers In The Dry Wasteland, Part 2
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV/NLT)
If you’ve ever failed in the past, you know what a desert of regret feels like. It can leave you barren and broken. The good news is that you don’t have to let your past define you. You can break free from that dry wasteland into the oasis of God’s blessing. God has a river of blessing for you. In order to step into that place of blessing you need to:
1. LET GO OF THE PAST
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:18 (NIV) The only way to effectively let go of the past is through forgiveness. To forgive in the language of the Bible simply means to release the offense, to let it go. It’s what God does when we confess our sins to Him. Through Christ death on the cross, we can be forgiven. Now, if God forgives our sins, we need to forgive ourselves and let it go. In Hebrews 8:12, God says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
2. OBEY GOD IN THE PRESENT
Moses is a great example of this. Despite failures in his past, God had a purpose and plan for Him. But he needed to obey God’s calling on his life and leave the desert where he had been hiding for 40 years. He had to let go of the past and obey God in the present. God was doing a new thing! He had a new plan for him just as He does for you! Peter’s life offers a similar example in the New Testament. How could he possibly be used by God again after denying he even knew Jesus? When he experienced the risen Christ’s forgiveness and love, he had to let go of his past failure and obey God in the present! He would later preach his first sermon at Pentecost and 3,000 people received Christ! He didn’t have to live in the desert of his past regrets! He moved into the oasis of God’s promises for a new beginning!
3. MOVE BOLDLY INTO THE FUTURE
As God began to unfold His purpose in Moses’ life, he had to learn to move boldly into the future to accomplish that purpose. There’s a time for prayer and a time for action. When Moses stood with the Israelites before the Red Sea, it must have seemed like a dead end, literally! The whole Egyptian army was charging toward them, and they had nowhere to turn. As Moses cried out to the Lord, God told him to move boldly ahead. Stop looking back, you’re not going that way!
Despite our failures in the past or how impossible the future may seem; our failure is not the final story! God’s purpose is the final story! Let go of the past, obey God in the present and move boldly into the future with faith. He will make a pathway through the wilderness. He will create rivers in the dry wasteland. What are you waiting for? Step into God’s oasis of blessing today!