"Behold, I Will Do a New Thing!" Isaiah 43:19

Have you heard it said, “...there is nothing new under the sun.” (Eccl. 1:9)  Yet, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah and said, “Look, I’m going to do something new”.  Is this a contradiction in the Word of God? 

As we are about to begin a new year in the history of humanity, our thoughts reflect on the past year.  As Christians, we must ask ourselves the question, “What have I done for Christ?”  Did we minister inward or outward?  Whom did we reach with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? 

From the December issue of “The Something Better News," I came across an article by Dorcas Aid, out of Grand Rapids.  The writer was talking about a field missionary who lives in Russia and had stopped in Grand Rapids to visit the bookstores.  After a lengthy time of browsing, he was asked if he found some good books.  His reply was the following:  “You know, I walked all through that store.  Out of the thousands of new books on the shelves, I found only 14 books that focused on world missions.  Everything else seems to focus on personal meditations, personal growth, church growth, personal healing, healing marriages, and strengthening relationships and on and on and on.”  The writer then asked, “Have we traded the noble calling of the Great commission for the fleeting pleasures of the American Dream?”

            We have become an inward, pleasure seeking people.  This is not new, as Ecclesiastes would tell us.  From the dawn of history, man has sought pleasure for himself.  Today, more than ever, we understand what the apostle Paul was telling Timothy.  “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--”  (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

            Men cannot be ‘lovers of self’ and also reach out to others.  Can they share the importance of the gospel and love only themselves. Christ left us with the great commission - “He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”  (Mark 16:15)  We can only do that, if we set aside self and have care and concern about their souls.  God wants to do a “new thing” in the lives of the lost.

            In God’s Word, we find Him ‘doing a new thing’ in three groups of people.  [One] In Isaiah, he speaks of the Israelites and how he will lead them through a historical process of captivity and then return the land to them. “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honor me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.  This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.”  (Isa. 43:19-21)  [Two] In New Testament times, he speaks of converts to Christianity, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17)   [Three] In Revelation, he tells us about the new heaven and new earth prepared for the over comer, “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”  (Rev. 21:5)

             These three areas show God creating something new that had never been before.  Israel had been divided many times, but God promised them a time would come when the deserts would bloom and highways would cross even its barren areas.  Today, after Israel was restored as a nation (1948), through means of irrigation, desert areas now bloom with flowers and vegetables.  Tributaries of rivers run like streams in the desert.  Highways stretch from border to border of this little country.  The eyes of the world are turned towards Jerusalem. 
            Christ came into this world for one purpose, to save the lost by drawing all men to him.  From the Cross of Calvary, every person who has truly believed Jesus was the Son of God, who died to set them free, was converted into a new creature.  The old fleshly nature passed away and a new inner spiritual being arose.  Only God could create a miracle that would change the inner man.

            There is one New Thing that has not yet taken place, but is sure to do so.  When the enemy is destroyed and all God’s people are with Jesus for eternity, behold, He will do a new thing; heaven and earth will be changed; will become new.  Who can accomplish that, but God Almighty, who is the Creator?  

            Today, we are still in the era of converts.   God still desires to do a ‘new thing’ in millions of unsaved people around the world.  We are the instruments to take the gift of salvation to the lost.

Time is running out for mankind.  “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.”  (Luke 10:2)  We must shake off the fleshly temptations that keep us in bondage and use the time remaining to reach out to those who don’t know him.  ".behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”  (John 4:35)

            We stand at the threshold of a new year.  It may be the last year to have the freedom of Christ, as we now know it.  It may be our last year to live, or it could be the year Jesus returns.  What will he find us doing?  Will it be reading books on how to minister to our inner self or just ‘hanging on,' waiting for someone to minister to us?  It may find us with a box of tissues as we hold a big pity party.  Wouldn’t you rather be found leading someone to Christ?

At the New Year, everyone makes resolutions for self improvement. How did you do last year on fulfilling your resolutions?  Did you lead anyone to Christ last year?  Why not?  What could have been more important than that?  This year could be different.  If we all did our job, our churches would be full.

During the holidays, there is a time when all the children come home.  There may be a total of twenty-eight adults and children, but if only twenty-seven are there, it’s not complete.  The moment the last family member walks through the door, everyone hoots and hollers, “We’re all here”.   A sigh of relief escapes; they’re all safe in the fold.  Our heavenly Father feels the same way; he waits for all that belong to him to come into the fold. Then it will be ‘home going’ time. 

“He who testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”  (Rev. 22:20)