By Sharon Wilson

 

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”
~Isaiah 43:18-19

At this time of year, when my kids were little, I used to take a small planter and plant some grass seeds. Slowly we would see something green pop up. It gave us all hope that the unpredictable Minnesota Winter would someday become Spring. Eventually we had an indoor lawn for our Easter bunny figures and dyed Easter eggs. Planting those seeds and seeing something grow gave us hope and allowed us to look to the future.

Hope is like that. It always makes us turn to the future, not the past.

My husband passed away recently, and I have been struggling with trusting in the future and having hope. What am I to hope for? I had thought my future was going to be shared with the man I’d been married to for 38 years. Now, it seems that I want to look at the past in grief instead of forward in hope.

Isaiah reminds us in today’s first reading of the Israelites in the desert. God protected them and led them (although He took them on the long route) to the land of milk and honey. God led them out of slavery, but 40 years is a long time and looking back at what was familiar in Egypt, even their slavery seemed appealing to them.

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Is 43:18-19)

When your future is uncertain, it is especially hard to trust God for your future.

Hope and Trust

In today’s Gospel, the woman caught in adultery was saved from an almost certain death but after her encounter with Jesus she faced a new but uncertain future. She needed to face her new life. Jesus gave her marching orders.

“Go, and do not sin again.” John 8:11b

She put her trust in Jesus. She took his hand, got up, and followed him.

Hope and trust go hand in hand. Hope is the desire for a particular thing to happen. Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something. Our history gives us the trust or firm belief we need to move forward.

We plant seeds and plants grow. It is dependable. God is with us as we move forward.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8

God cares for us

God takes care of us. He has in the past and will continue to do so. Our trust in God does not mean things will go the way we want it to; God may have bigger plans for us.

We have been practicing trusting God for the last few weeks during Lent. Doing little things, giving up sweets, TV, coffee.  When we do these little things, we trust in God to take care of us. In the end, if we are paying attention, we find out that God has something even better in store for us. If He can do this in the little things, He can do them in the big things too.

Something new

“Behold, I am doing a new thing,” Isaiah 43:19a.

I do not know what my future looks like without my husband. I trust that God has something new for me too.

Prayer

Lord, help me to trust in you with the little things so that I may have hope in trusting in you with all things.

Call to Action

Think of the things you gave up for Lent. Search for the blessings you have received because of them. Write them down and keep looking for them.

 

 

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