Hope, No Matter What 

(our theme for September)

Isaiah 43: 18-19

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 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.

Stop thinking about the past.  

That’s the assignment.

Are you stuck in a narrative that tells you the best is behind you?  That things will never be as good as they used to be?  That it’s all downhill from here?  When you look at the world around you, does it seem  that we have passed some point of no return and we’re all staring at a dark abyss?  Do you find yourself wishing we could turn back the clock? Start over again?

Well, stop it.  Longing for the past and believing that things will never be as good as they once were is the opposite of hope, and there’s a name for that.  It’s despair.  And people of faith may feel desperate sometimes, but we do not live in despair.

When things change–when we change–sadness is normal.  Grief is normal.  But when we long for the past and feed that longing, or when we cling tightly to the past, or,  in the words of Isaiah, when we dwell on it (or in it), we cannot embrace the future with hope.  We are unable to perceive the new thing that God is doing, and God is always doing a new thing.  

God is not finished.  God has not already done God’s best work.  All of God’s work is God’s BEST work, because God does nothing less.  That’s who God is–the One who is always about the business of making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  

So take heart, fellow traveler, and chin up.  Forget the former things and do not dwell on the past. God is doing a new thing.  And even now it springs forth.  Do you not see it?  

Let us pray:

Creator God, we thank you that even and especially when the landscape ahead looks barren and bleak, you are there, making a way where there seems to be no way.  When we long for the past, open our eyes to see with hope the future you prepare for your beloved creation.  In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

Today’s devotional was written and read by Greta Smith.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.