Listen:
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
Reflect:
The weather in the UK in January can be cold and dreary, the days short, so we look carefully for signs of spring. New shoots peeking out from cold dark earth and buds on some of the trees. A few things even manage to flower!
When water reaches a desert place or sunshine warms the earth, hidden seeds and bulbs grow and will eventually blossom. Even in our wilderness times, God is preparing something new for us to discover, to get involved in.
Every day we hear bad news. Wastelands caused by war, famine, flood, oppression. Friends or family walking through the wilderness of sickness. A difficult political situation. Some struggle with depression especially at this time of year…..Can you see signs of hope? Thanks be to God that he hears our prayers for governments, for relief and rescue workers, for Doctors, nurses and care givers and for all who suffer.
‘I am doing a new thing…do you not perceive it?’
‘God’s light is more like the gentle light of sunrise’ *
I love driving through countryside in the very early morning. The sky gradually lightens, trees and fields become more defined, my field of vision grows and I become more aware of the world around me.
God’s light helps us to have a wider perspective, to see our troubles from His point of view, to remember that He is near to all who are suffering. He has plans for each one of us.
Each new day, light shows us the world around us. Each new day, we can ask and seek for God’s light, so that we see the world in the light of His love.
*From “Exploring the Examen Step-by-Step: Ask God for Light” by Marina Berzins McCoy
Prayer of Response:
Lord, I long to see what you are doing. Help me to notice the new things you are doing in the lives of those around me. May I view the world by the light you give.
Questions to Ponder:
- Whilst I think of hidden seeds and bulbs. What are the things that remind you that God is always ‘doing something new’?
- Is there something in your circumstances that feels like a complete wasteland? Take some time to ask God how he is working there. Ask for His light to show up all that you need to see.
—Submitted by Elaine Davis
A grandmother, retired. I live in Leamington Spa, near two of my children and their families. As a result my life is constantly changing. I enjoy being creative, keeping up with old friends, and making new ones, supporting family, and my local church. I hope and plan to write more this year. I wonder if Lifesprings UK is a new thing God is doing?
Feature photo of countryside by Ivan Maljarenko on Unsplash