Do You Not Perceive It?
Do you really believe that God makes all things new? That He is making YOU new? Can you trust that He is making your marriage new? Making your job new? God promises to bring newness to all these things, and much more!
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19, ESV)
At times, I struggle to see God making stuff NEW. I wonder, Where is the NEW? On hard days, I struggle to see the good God is doing in me, in my marriage, in my children, or in the places where I share my gifts. I have lamented, Things will never change. These broken things will always be broken. Have you said or thought anything like that? Have you gotten discouraged by feeling stuck?
When we feel stuck, we lose the belief that we can move forward. We feel shackled.
In your life, can you think of a place where you feel—or of a person who makes you feel—frustrated, hopeless, angry, bitter? That’s what it’s like to be stuck. We say we believe God’s Word, but doubt can lurk, hidden in our hearts. Doubt tells us there’s no hope, that we should forget about all the good that God promises to work for us, and in us.
All That Is Hidden Will Be Revealed
Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed,
and nothing concealed that will not be
made known and brought to light. (Luke 8:17, NET)
The doubt hiding on our hearts comes out in all shapes and sizes (these are just a few examples):
- We fret about our sin rather than rejoicing in God’s forgiveness
- Our “poor self-image” is a facade for unbelief about who God says we are, in Him. Inwardly, we question God’s ability to conform us to His image.
- Our controlling behavior reveals doubt, too. Because we don’t trust the Lord to do the work in others, in His time, we push hard to “help” them improve/change.
- Situations and circumstances must go exactly according to our plans, leaving no room for God’s plans to unfold. When life takes an unexpected turn, we question God’s love for us.
- Instead of Curating the Good (collecting and displaying evidence of God’s goodness), we curate evidence to validate discouragement, disappointment, unbelief, anger, bitterness, and grudges.
When we can’t curate the good, it reveals the doubt that is hidden in our hearts
Embracing God’s Capacity and Desire to Make Us Good
On the other hand, Curating the Good embraces God’s desire and capacity to make all things new, including us. God is at work, daily to make us good, like Him. What a relief to know: He is making ME good. Daily, we must commit to believing truth:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20, ESV
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Galatians 5:17, ESV
“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Romans 6:6, ESV
“…By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14, ESV
“I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6, ESV
Because we know He is making us good, we can rest in Him instead of being overwhelmed by our imperfections. We can trust that He is at work in others who love Him, making them good, too. And we can be at peace, knowing that He is working in all of the broken places—He is making good, showing His glory—we just need to look for it!
Curating the Good is not a “Bible study” because we are learning, not just by studying God’s Word, but also by doing it. So, we call it “a practice;” curating the good is something we have to do over and over, not looking to a finish line, but trying to make it a habit, something automatic. We curate the good to enhance our lives, to draw near to God, and to bless others.
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