The message centers on Isaiah 43:14–19, where God speaks hope to Israel while they are still in exile in Babylon. The preacher emphasizes that hope often emerges from dark places, not from comfort. Israel’s bondage was not merely the result of bad luck or Satan’s attacks but a consequence of their rebellion against God. God used Babylon to break their hardened hearts, demonstrating His role as their Redeemer and King.

Letting Go of the Past

Verse 18—“Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old”—is not a call to forget God’s blessings but to avoid dwelling on past victories or failures to the point of limiting present faith. The Hebrew nuance of “consider” suggests restricting expectations to what God has already done. Israel often romanticized “the good old days” or past spiritual triumphs, using them as badges of current spiritual worth, instead of continuing forward in faith. Both past defeats (such as their sin that led to exile) and past glories can chain believers, preventing progress toward the “new thing” God desires to do.

Patterns of Resistance to God’s Work

The preacher identifies three main reasons believers resist God’s ongoing work:

1. Chained to Old Failures – Like Israel dwelling on exile or Paul potentially dwelling on his life as Saul, many remain stuck in guilt or regret, which hinders spiritual progress.
2. Comfort in Familiar Ruts – Just as Israel wanted to return to Egypt for its “leeks and garlics,” people cling to the comfort of mediocrity rather than embracing the discomfort of change.
3. Expecting God to Work the Same Way – God’s methods are not fixed; each miracle of Jesus was unique. Clinging to a past pattern of how God “should” work blinds believers to His fresh approaches.
4. Lack of Spiritual Discernment – In verse 19, “Shall ye not know it?” warns that believers can miss the first signs of God’s movement due to spiritual dullness, as the disciples often did with Jesus.

God’s Call to a New Thing

God promises in verse 19 to “make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert,” indicating His power to create paths and sustenance in impossible places. This requires faith for the miraculous and openness to His timing and methods. Like Israel’s deliverance through the Red Sea or water from the rock, God provides in unexpected ways.

Embracing the New Work of God

The preacher outlines four key responses needed to receive God’s new work:

1. Willingness to Release the Past – Let go of both past failures that cause shame and past victories that breed complacency. Paul’s mindset in Philippians 3:13–14 (“forgetting those things which are behind… press toward the mark”) is essential.
2. Yield to God’s Fresh Paths – God often creates new, unforeseen opportunities. Believers must give Him the “right of way,” trusting Proverbs 3:5–6 to guide their steps, even when provision looks unconventional.
3. Faith for the Impossible – Trust God to sustain in desert seasons and to do what seems naturally impossible, like furnishing “rivers in the desert.”
4. Discernment to Recognize His Work – Train the spiritual eye to spot God’s “fingerprints” in life’s events to avoid missing His intended blessings, as Israel did when they ignored His invitations to change.

Illustrations and Applications

• Lamentations 3 demonstrates the shift from focusing on affliction to recalling God’s mercies, which are “new every morning.” This change in focus brings renewed hope.
• A personal anecdote about an older basketball player illustrates adapting to new realities rather than clinging to the past in ways that harm progress.
• The preacher warns that refusing change leads to stagnation, missed blessings, and eventual spiritual decline.

Final Challenge

Believers are called to move “from old glory to new ground”—to continually live by faith, embracing God’s new work without being shackled by nostalgia or regret. God’s faithfulness is constant, but His methods are fresh; His mercies are new each morning, and His desire is for His people to grow, change, and reflect His glory in every season.