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 desert and streams in the wasteland.”
If you have experienced failure in the past, you know how it feels to be surrounded by remorse. Because of this, you may even become barren and broken. Well, I have some excellent news for you: you do not have to allow your history to dictate who you are in the present or who you will become in the future! You have the ability to escape that parched wasteland and enter the cool oasis which is the blessing of God. The Lord has a flood of blessings in store for you. In order to enter that area of blessing, you need to do three things:
1. LET GO OF THE PAST
“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?” The only way to effectively let go of the past is through forgiveness. To forgive in the language of the Bible simply means to release the offense, to let it go. It’s what God does when we confess our sins to Him. Through Christ death on the cross, we can be forgiven. Now, if God forgives our sins, we need to forgive ourselves and let it go. In Hebrews 8:12, God says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
2. OBEY GOD IN THE PRESENT
In this regard, Moses is an excellent example. Regardless of the fact that he had failed in the past, God had a purpose and a plan for him. But in order to fulfil the calling that God had placed on his life, he had to leave the desert, where he had been hiding for the past four decades. The only way for him to obey God in the here and now was to let go of the past. Something new was being prepared by God! The same way that He has a new plan for you, He had a new plan for Moses! A comparable illustration can be found in the New Testament in the life of Peter.
After denying that he had ever known Jesus, it is difficult to imagine how God might ever use him again. As soon as he felt the love and forgiveness of the risen Christ, he was forced to let go of his previous failures and obey God in the present. As a result of his first sermon, which he delivered during Pentecost, three thousand people embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter didn’t have to spend his life in the arid desert of his regrets from the past! As a new beginning, he moved into the oasis that was provided by the promises of God!
3. MOVE BOLDLY INTO THE FUTURE
As God began to reveal His plan for Moses’ life, he had to learn to move boldly into the future to accomplish that purpose. There is a time for prayer, there is a time for action, and there is a time for both. When Moses and the Israelites were standing before the Red Sea, it must have appeared to be a physical dead end. They had no place to go because the entire Egyptian army was storming towards them, and they had no alternative. As Moses prayed to the Lord, God instructed him to go with confidence in his journey. Put an end to looking back; you are not moving in that direction!
In spite of the fact that we have failed in the past or that the future may appear to be unachievable, our disappointment is not the end of the narrative! In the end, the story is about God’s purpose! Be willing to let go of the past, obey God in the here and now, and go forward with confidence and courage into the future God has already prepared for you. He will make a pathway through the wilderness. He will create rivers in the dry wasteland. What are you waiting for? Step into God’s oasis of blessing today!