Bright Futures

Isaiah 43:16–19 NKJV

16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, 17 Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick): 18 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. 19 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.

Many of us can allow our past to determine our future. We let our course through life be set by our past experiences. We failed a class so we can’t do well in school, we get fired and we let that determine our worth, we get dumped in a relationship so we don’t pursue another relationship, we fail and sin against God and we believe that God can’t use us in his work.

Maybe the problem is when those things happen in our lives there are many people around us who declare these things. We struggle in our lives and there are plenty of people who will tell you your not worth it or good enough.

But with God you are always worth His time and energy.

Early in our text Isaiah 43 we see the kind of God we foolow. The people of Israel were fallen and gone astray but listen to what He tells Isaiah.

Isaiah 43:1–5 NKJV

1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west;

Even though they had failed to follow God even when they had sinned, God had a place in His heart for them. God’s love and grace know no end, God’s patience know no end. Now he did need to send them in captivity to get their attention. And I believe there may be times He allows things in our lives to get our attention. But hear me, that is not to say that all that happens to us God causes. But I do believe He can use our curcumstances to get our attention especially when we are not walk in His way.

But even in those times:

Isaiah 43:2 NKJV

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Isaiah 43:3 NKJV

3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

Those past expereinces should not determine our future, they should strengthen our faith in a Loving God.

So how do we find a bright future for our lives? There are three things we must do based on our text.

Know who has the way forward V.16-17

Let go of the past V.18

Trust God for your future V.19

Know who has the way forward V.16-17

Isaiah 43:16–17 NKJV

16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, 17 Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):

Life can often feel like we are in a vast ocean. It can feel like at any moment if we encounter a rouge wave it maybe what it takes to crush us and destroy all we have been work for. But here in this passage we see that God can make a way in the sea of life and even through the mighty waters, when life is not going the way we thought it would. It reminds me of the song we sing Captain

Verse 1

Through waters uncharted my soul will embark. I’ll follow Your voice straight into the dark. And if from the course You intend I depart, Speak to the sails of my wandering heart

Chorus 1

Like the wind You’ll guide, Clear the skies before me, And I’ll glide this open sea, Like the stars, Your Word will align my voyage, And remind me where I’ve bee And where I am going

Let go of the past V.18

Isaiah 43:18 NKJV

18 “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.

Verse 2

Lost in the shallows amidst fear and fog. Your truth is the compass that points me back north. Jesus my Captain my soul’s trusted Lord, All my allegiance is rightfully Yours.

So if we desire to chart a new path in our lives it will take a short memory. I know there are things that can be so big they seem impossible to get past. I know becuase I have themin my life as well. But what I am leaerning is that if can realise them God can give me a new way forward.

Satan wants us to stay in the past so he can use it to beat us over the head with it. It could be a past sin, a past bad experience, it could be some diffculty you lived through. But what he does is brings it to mind over and over again to make you feel inadquate, useless, dirty, ugly, unworthy. But what God wants for us is to release us from the past to help us discovery mighty things he desires to do in your life.

Trust God for your future V.19

Isaiah 43:19 NKJV

19 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.

God has a better way, a beautful way, a new way for us that is not determined by our past. It is not determined by what we have done, what other have done, by anything in this world.

Here God had a new plan for the people of Israel. Paul tells the Corinthians that it is the same for those who come to faith in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

You don’t need to let your pass rule your present or your future. In fact in Jesus we can have a bright future. In Jesus your life doesn’t need to be directed by the wave of life. God has a way through the roughest seas, He wants to be the captain that guides our soul.