“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:18-19 New King James Version.
“Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.” – Isaiah 42:9 New King James Version.
What do you do when you returned home and found all the things you have worked for burnt down to ashes and your family taking captive and carried away to an unknown location and your co-workers plotting how they will stone you to death as the leader because their own families were also carried away and all their possessions have also being burnt down?
The natural thing to do is to burst out in loud wails—weep and weep until you are exhausted with weeping. That is exactly what David and his men did when they found themselves in this challenging situation. But that is not the end of the story, or otherwise that would have been the end of David. Even though anointed as king, David would never have been able to serve God`s purpose as the king of Israel, for which we all remember him today.
1 Samuel 30:4-8 Message Bible says, “David and his men burst out in loud wails—wept and wept until they were exhausted with weeping. David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken prisoner along with the rest. And suddenly David was in even worse trouble. There was talk among the men, bitter over the loss of their families, of stoning him. David strengthened himself with trust in his God. He ordered Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the Ephod so I can consult God.” Abiathar brought it to David. Then David prayed to God, “Shall I go after these raiders? Can I catch them?” The answer came, “Go after them! Yes, you’ll catch them! Yes, you’ll make the rescue!”
Please note that the turning point in David`s life was not when he wept and was distressed. It was when David strengthened himself with trust in his God and consulted God in prayer, who answered him and gave him a marching order to pursue after the enemy, overtake them, and recover all! 1 Samuel 30:6 KJV says that David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:7-8 NKJV says, “Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” And David surely did recover all!
No matter what you have been through this year or until now, do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Choose to behold the new thing that God has in store for you this month of A NEW BEGINNING because what you behold is what you will believe and what you believe is what you will become. We all need to HAVE FAITH IN GOD for A NEW BEGINNING because “The things impossible for people are possible for God.” (Luke 18:27 New Century Version). [To be continued next week].
