The first day of spring was last week. The time of year when everything planted comes back to life.Nothing remains dormant. Especially interesting to me as we had the outside of our house resided in December. I was told that there would be several plants & bushes that were ruined & probably would need to be pulled out & replaced.
For sure, the bushes are now in need of pruning from the damage, but I am hoping that they can be salvaged. I so do not want to get rid of some bushes that hold memories for me. Like the first azalea bush that I planted – ever. It was given to me by my children for Mother’s Day our first year in our house.
I began to note that the trees were budding & this caused me to take a look at the planted areas surrounding the house. To my surprise, several have some new growth. Seeing the new growth brought this to mind:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19 NIV).
- He is doing a new thing. “Doing” means that He is making or creating that new thing. His reason? To show us His faithfulness.
- We need to perceive what He is doing. I love how the NASB words it, “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it?” The problem lies with our lack of awareness of His activity. May He give us eyes that see & ears that hear. May He give us eyes & ears that are willing to see & hear.
- He is making a way. His reason? To bring about a change – a change in circumstances. A change in us.
God is in the habit of causing new growth to spring up in places we do not expect to see growth. Notice that the place in which He makes the way is “in the desert” & “in the wasteland”. In neither place would we have high expectations of growth or production. Yet our God chooses those very places to demonstrate Himself to us. Perhaps good questions to ask ourselves today would be:
                                    “Where is the desert in my life?”
                              “Where is the wasteland?”
For it is in those very places that we need to be aware that our God is fully able to work…….
in the midst of pain
  in the midst of no hope
      in the midst of uncertainty
          in the midst of rejection
             in the midst of loneliness
                in the midst of unmet desires
In those very places, He desires for the answer to spring up. He desires to bring about a new thing in our lives. He is able to make a way where there is no way. Scripture tells us the very reason that He responds to us in this way:
                              “THAT THEY MAY PROCLAIM MY PRAISE.” (verse 21).
Today may I perceive Him. Today may I see what He is doing around me. Today may I see the way that He alone is making. And today may I proclaim His praise!
                              Today may I see His stream in the desert.
