July Newsletter

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.

What is Normal Anyway?

Someone once told me, “normal is just a setting on a washing machine.” I think the past three to four months have proved that to be true. When we look at our world, nothing seems normal right now. There is talk about getting back to normal. Others discuss the need for a new normal. Interestingly enough, the word normal is not found once in the King James Version. I have thought about the absence of the word normal and wondered why. Then I remembered the prophecy of Isaiah where God promised to do a new thing. Why didn’t God promise to do a normal thing? What is normal for people? According to scripture, we are born into sin. Therefore, normal is a life of separation from God. When people are far from God, they are normally indifferent to spiritual matters and disinterested in living a life that honors the Lord. However, when God does a new thing, He takes someone from a life of sin, to a life where they are saved. The new work God wants to accomplish includes a life consumed with spiritual development. As we move to life with the reality of COVID-19, many want to return to normal. However, as I pray, I do not want to go back to normal, I want new. I want a new level of commitment. I desire a new depth in my prayer life. I hunger for new insight to God’s word. As a church, we are preparing to relaunch vital ministries in our congregation. When we come back together, be it in Sunday School, Sunday evenings, or Wednesday, I am praying that it is not normal. Instead, I trust God will do a new thing in our lives and in our church. Join me in praying that God will move us beyond a desire for normal,

and He will give us a new encounter with Him.