November 9, 2022
Scripture: Isaiah 65.17-18
Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth:
Past events won’t be remembered;
They won’t come to mind.
Be glad and rejoice forever
In what I’m creating, because I’m creating Jerusalem as a joy
And her people as a source of gladness.
Devotion:
As I am writing this devotion, the moving company is hauling all of my furniture into our new house. There is a lot of excitement in our home: the walls have a fresh coat of paint, the lawn has a new drainage system, and we finally have a refrigerator that makes its own ice (a simple privilege, but something we’re very excited about). Being new homeowners is something we are excited about and are very grateful for. New things are often something we look forward to, and this passage in Isaiah is one that elicits a new car smell, a vision of the earth in springtime when everything is fresh and new. There is relief: whatever has happened in the past that weighs you down, that hurts your soul, you can let it go and start new.
But ‘new’ can also be a source of anxiety. A new smart phone might cause us a lot of confusion; a new car takes time to learn how to park it properly. In my house in the middle of a move, there is also a lot of chaos and nervousness. Will the cat adjust well to the new house? Will Maeve be able to sleep in a new room. What if we find something about the house that we just don’t like? Reading Isaiah, my heart skips a beat at the phrase “past events won’t be remembered.” Of course, I would like to forget the bad, but I don’t want to forget the good. Isaiah seems to understand that his good news doesn’t feel that good because the very next verse is a reminder: be glad and rejoice forever. Listen, y’all, it’s going to be okay! Better than okay; it’s going to be awesome.
As we prepare for Commitment Sunday, we are preparing for the good things that God is going to be doing here at Cross Roads. This is both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. What if the new things don’t look like the things we’re familiar with? What if what we really want is for things not to change? Join me on Sunday with your Estimate of Giving Form in hand. Together, we’re going to dream about what God has in store for Cross Roads. We know it will be good, and we know that we will face the fear of the unknown together.
Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth:
Past events won’t be remembered;
They won’t come to mind.
Be glad and rejoice forever
In what I’m creating, because I’m creating Jerusalem as a joy
And her people as a source of gladness.
Devotion:
As I am writing this devotion, the moving company is hauling all of my furniture into our new house. There is a lot of excitement in our home: the walls have a fresh coat of paint, the lawn has a new drainage system, and we finally have a refrigerator that makes its own ice (a simple privilege, but something we’re very excited about). Being new homeowners is something we are excited about and are very grateful for. New things are often something we look forward to, and this passage in Isaiah is one that elicits a new car smell, a vision of the earth in springtime when everything is fresh and new. There is relief: whatever has happened in the past that weighs you down, that hurts your soul, you can let it go and start new.
But ‘new’ can also be a source of anxiety. A new smart phone might cause us a lot of confusion; a new car takes time to learn how to park it properly. In my house in the middle of a move, there is also a lot of chaos and nervousness. Will the cat adjust well to the new house? Will Maeve be able to sleep in a new room. What if we find something about the house that we just don’t like? Reading Isaiah, my heart skips a beat at the phrase “past events won’t be remembered.” Of course, I would like to forget the bad, but I don’t want to forget the good. Isaiah seems to understand that his good news doesn’t feel that good because the very next verse is a reminder: be glad and rejoice forever. Listen, y’all, it’s going to be okay! Better than okay; it’s going to be awesome.
As we prepare for Commitment Sunday, we are preparing for the good things that God is going to be doing here at Cross Roads. This is both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. What if the new things don’t look like the things we’re familiar with? What if what we really want is for things not to change? Join me on Sunday with your Estimate of Giving Form in hand. Together, we’re going to dream about what God has in store for Cross Roads. We know it will be good, and we know that we will face the fear of the unknown together.