Something New

Hi, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading, titled Something New, was written by Jennifer Benson Shoult. Farming is difficult in areas that lack fresh water. To help solve this problem, the Seawater Greenhouse Company has created something new—cooling houses in Somaliland, Africa, and other countries with similar climates. Cooling houses use solar pumps to drizzle salt water over walls made of corrugated cardboard. As the water moves down each panel, it leaves its salt behind.

Much of the remaining fresh water evaporates inside the structure, which becomes a humid place where fruit and vegetable crops can flourish. Through the prophet Isaiah, God promised to do a new thing as He provided streams in the wasteland for ancient Israel. This new thing contrasted with the old thing He had done to rescue His people from the Egyptian army.

Remember the Red Sea account? God wanted His people to recall the past, but not let it overshadow His current involvement in their lives. He said in Isaiah 43 verse 19, See, I am doing a new thing.

Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness. While looking to the past can bolster our faith in God's provision, living in the past can blind us to all the fresh work of God's Spirit today. We can ask God to show us how He's currently moving, helping, remaking and sustaining His people.

May this awareness prompt us to partner with Him to meet the needs of others, both near and far. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Isaiah chapter 43 verses 14 through 21. This is what the Lord says, Your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, for Your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians in the ship in which they took pride. I am the Lord, Your Holy One, Israel's Creator, Your King. This is what the Lord says, He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick.

Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up.

Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. Let's pray. Dear God, we praise You as the one who does new things. May we be Your hands and feet to make new things that will bring about good just like Isaiah did when he provided streams in the wasteland. Help us to trust You as You meet our changing needs and praise You for sustaining us. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.