God of New Beginnings

- 6 minutes read - 1113 words

Introduction As we start the new year, we hear of new beginnings. Even though its a new year, we quickly are back in the regular rhythm of life. Wake up, go to school or work, eat in between, come home, sleep, repeat. And in some ways, we lose hope/faith or simply forget that our Lord is returning soon. And as I was thinking on this, I’ve been meditating on Isaiah 51. And this message is for those that are holding onto the faith but are getting tired, or you are going through trials and its to encourage you to stay strong.

Ultimately, this text has something of the feel of a half-time pep talk, given by the coach to a beleaguered team. “Stay in the game, you-all; keep going back to those fundamentals; we have a winning playbook, and that is about to show; the enemy is about to fall apart; you are about to score, big. Listen to me: look; you are about to win this game; it’s about to happen before your very eyes.”

God is about to do something new! New in your lives, new in our church, new in our families, in our community!

I just want to speak on couple points from this passage

  1. Verse 1 opens with “Listen” - this is said 3 times in this chapter. Its to Listen to what God has to say about himself.

    1. vs. 1 listen you who pursue righteousness - this is addressed to those that are in the faith

      1. He’s asking you to remember your past - “Look to the rock from which you were hewn”

        1. Where is your faith? Are you from the rock that crumbles or the heavenly Rock, the Pillar of Christ. Isaiah refers to Abraham & Sarah, Abraham who is called as the father of faith

        2. You may be thinking - I’ve been in this faith so long, looking to the past, you may be attending church for years, you may be praying for a matter for years, you maybe fasting for years. But God is saying, don’t lose hope - v3 “And her wilderness He will make like Eden…Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and sound melody”

    2. vs. 4 - calling to all the people, all the nations. v6 - the sky will vanish, the earth will wear out, but my salvation shall be forever. The earth is crumbling, there is no solid rock or solid foundation, but God’s salvation and righteousness will never wear out

      1. There is nothing secure about this world. Your job, your home, you friends will come and go. but God’s righteousness is secure.

    3. vs. 7 - Listen again - that people may reproach us, people may revile us and come against us, but his righteousness is forever and his salvation extends to generations

  2. v9 Awake Awake - its like calling God to awake. But we know the verse in Psalms, that God neither sleeps nor slumbers.

    1. This is saying for our faith to be awaken. Remember what God did for us in the past.

    2. When something or someone comes against us, we get so down & depressed - read verse 12 - have we forgotten who God is?

    3. v. 17 - calling to awake the church. Satan is always looking to bring down the church. But awaken and God will fight for his church - read vs 22

  3. Just want to end with an example. 1 Samuel Ch 30. David is at Ziklag. Its been 35 years David has been in the wilderness. He’s so much in despair, he decides better that I go live in peace with my enemies than live like a wanderer among his people. He has some success among the Philistines. But even the Philistines now are turning against him. He was to go into battle with the Philistines, but they ask him to leave. He departs and came to where his friends are living Ziklag. Except, there’s been a raid on Ziklag. They are all deeply in despair. So much so that they want to stone David. Verse 6, David was greatly distressed.

    1. David did not lose hope. Vs. 6 - Davide strengthened himself in the Lord His God. He’s been alone before, and God has delivered him before. He’s remembering how God delivered him.

    2. People are turning against him, but that did not cause David to lose hope.

    3. David seeks God and knows God will deliver him.

  4. I bring this example, because David probably started the new year thinking, where is God’s promise? its been 35 years. Its another year, and as he starts the new year, he’s already reproached. The Philistines tell him to leave. They say, the enemy of your enemy is your friend, but the Philistines don’t even want to associate with David. He’s a good for nothing. Then on top of all that, when he gets to his safe place, he finds even his safe place has been raided and now his closest friends want to stone him. What David didn’t realize was this was the last battle before he would become king. Once again, God was reminding him that David before you become king, I want you to remember that you stood alone. And you had to trust in Me.

  5. We read that the same battle that David wanted to fight in with the Philistines, that same battle Saul and Jonathan were killed. If David had gone up, and if he helped the Philistines, people might say its because of David that Saul died. He would have become an enemy of his own people.

Conclusion:

  1. But God did something new that day. God changed David’s destiny. He might have had to face another wilderness year, but God turned his mourning into joy. He made the wilderness like Eden, and like a garden.

  2. The chapter we read from at the start is the 51st chapter of Isaiah, and as we’ve heard before the chapters of Isaiah correspond to the books of the Bible. And so the 51st book is Colossians. If I reference Colossians, the verse that I want to leave with you all is Colossians 3:10. Yes God is doing something new, let us hold steadfast in faith. That we be renewed to the true knowledge according to His image.

  3. Listen again - remember your faith, God is faithful, righteous, and His salvation does not wear out. Let us remember that God will fight for us. And the wilderness will turn into a garden like Eden. Joy and gladness will be there. Let us not lose faith but just as David strengthened himself in God, let us strengthen ourselves! May God bless you with these words.

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