By Lucas
On the 16th of March 2020, Matt Hancock, the then UK Secretary of State for Health, stood before the House of Commons and essentially declared that all unnecessary social contacts should cease. A week later, the whole country went into a full lockdown, something the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, described as “a very draconian measure”. Draconian indeed, as two days later, the Coronavirus Act 2020 Bill was passed in the House of Parliament giving the government emergency powers to handle the impending crisis. What all seemed impossible just weeks earlier eventually became everyone’s lived reality. Just like it was in the UK, governments around the world that hadn’t done so gradually put their countries into a proper full lockdown, with most nonessential social contact deemed illegal.
Thus began a tough 12 to 18 months of varied levels of restrictions on social interactions and our livelihoods, just to try and contain the pandemic. The year 2020 will be remembered as the year the world stood still and 2021 as the one where it attempted to make a comeback. A comeback to a semblance of normalcy. The 18 months through mid- 2021 saw it all, all sorts of emotions -there’s been sadness at the news of someone’s passing, happiness at finally being able to socially interact, fear at that dry cough that you can’t seem to shake or anger at the blatant disregard of protective guidelines. We’ve all dealt with these emotions and have come out on the other side. Now, what next? You ask. 2022! I won’t pretend to have the right answers for you, but as always, God does. We just have to listen intentionally. He says:
“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” Isaiah 43:18-19
There’s an instruction and a promise here, both clear and emphatic.
The instruction? Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old – in essence, don’t dwell on the past. We are effectively made up of our past. In different proportions, we are a combination of everything we’ve ever been through. But as important as that is, if left unchecked, the past has a subtle way of robbing us of a better future. If you focus on what’s past, you lose sight of what’s ahead. Yes, take stock of what you’ve been through, as it can help to make guided, better-informed choices, but don’t dwell on it. Don’t waste energy, time or resources focused on the past. Instead, heed God’s instruction, Remember ye not the former things!
The promise here is, I will do a new thing – this is the Alpha and Omega, the One who spoke the world into existence, the God of Providence saying, I will do a new thing. Quite frankly, God is the only one that can say that and mean it without an iota of doubt. Regardless of how you came out on the other side of the said 18 months, with work, family, health, and overall wellbeing, the promise is of something new. The dictionary defines the word novelty as the quality of being new, original, or unusual. In essence, what God intends to do is something new and original – specific to you and your exact need. I will do a new thing!
Now God didn’t stop there, he continued shall ye not know it? This is God backing up His words. What I intend to do isn’t something intangible or invisible, it will be obvious. It will be clear and obvious to you, to friends and to family, shall ye not know it?! Take God’s word for it. Let go of all fear, apprehension, and anxiety. You’ve gone through the past year holding on to Him, now isn’t the time to let go. Trust Him with tomorrow, trust Him with next week, trust him with next year. Trust Him until He comes to take you home. Hang on to every jot and tittle promised in His word, He who has promised is faithful to do what was promised – Hebrews 10:23.