Recently my wife and I replaced our old kitchen stove with a new one. The first time I used it, I put a pan of milk on the range to make oatmeal and turned it on high. I turned around briefly to get some other ingredients—and the next thing I knew, milk was running everywhere, even between the glass panes of the oven door. Would our new stove be ruined? As we removed screws to get at the glass, we wondered, “How did this happen? Will it ever be fixed?”
For many people, it seems the world is that way too. Problems in the world and in our lives can feel overwhelming. We find ourselves asking, “Will things ever be fixed”?
In Isaiah 43, God speaks to his people as they struggle with feeling that way. They are in exile, and their country is in ruins. In despair, they are thinking it will never be fixed. But God declares, “See, I am doing a new thing! . . . Do you not perceive it?” We are reminded that God is at work doing something new, and he invites us to join him.
Our stove eventually got fixed. And God’s plan for the world is far greater. He shows us that things will not just be restored—they will be even better than before! Do we have the eyes to see?
Lord of all, thank you for the new things you are doing in our world. Please give us eyes to see what you are doing today, and help us to notice all that you are making new in our lives! In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Kevin DeRaaf
Kevin DeRaaf is the director of Resonate Global Mission, the Christian Reformed mission agency working in more than 40 countries around the world. With a focus on encouraging others to join in God’s mission where they are, Kevin believes that God’s purpose for the local church is to shine as a community of love and grace, showing in tangible ways that Jesus is the hope of the world. He and his wife, Jacquie, have three children and four grandchildren and live in Burlington, Ontario.
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