Using the promises from the book of Isaiah, KB Chakela unpacks how God has only good plans for our lives

As we step into a new year, the words from the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 43, verses 18 and 19, reads (NKJV) “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”  These verses prompt us to release the past - both its failures and its victories- and focus on the new thing that God is promising us in 2024, for as Jeremiah 29:11 says, He knows the plans He has of us, so we can fix our eyes on God and forget the past.

Now this command from the Prophet Isaiah may seem counterintuitive as the past and its experiences have shaped who we are, whether good or bad.  Often, we learn from past mistakes and failures not to repeat them, however the Lord is calling us into a place of leaving the past in the past and shedding the weight of those past hurts, failures, disappointments and even past victories. As we do so, we embrace the divine reset button, allowing us to enter into the new year with a fresh perspective and a heart open to what God has in store for us, a heart filled with hope for the future and faith for God’s exceedingly promises.

 The command of not dwelling in the past and forgetting the former things was later emphasised by Jesus himself in Luke 17:32, when He cautions us using Lots wife. In His words Jesus says to remember Lot’s wife. If we go back to the Old Testament, we find that Lot’s wife, as they were leaving the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah being led by the angels of God, looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. This serves as a reminder of the consequences of living in the shadows of yesterday. In many instances, if our eyes are always focused on the past, we can be enslaved and ensnared in a cycle of regret and worry, that can even prevent us from believing and having hope for the future.

As we stand in the first month of 2024, it’s natural to reflect and think about the previous year and reflect on the challenges and victories of the past year.  However, dwelling in the past can hinder our progress. Instead let us all be reminded of the Lord’s words written by the prophet Isaiah: “behold, I do a new thing!”  This is a declaration of God’s promises and faithfulness, and this is an invitation to trust God and His ability to do what He said He would do.

Embracing the “new thing” does not mean dismissing the lessons learned or ignoring the growth from the past seasons, but it means trusting God in the new thing that He promises us. Forgive yourself for past failures, and trust that God will give you beauty for ashes (reference for Isaiah 61:3). The coming year has the potential to be amazing, full of surprises and uncommon blessings, opportunities, and transformative breakthroughs.  God is not limited to our lives and current circumstances, because he says He will make rivers in the desert and a road in the wilderness (reference to Isaiah 43:19), but that can only happen if we remember not the former things, that is the requirement to experience and live in the “new thing” God has for us.