Rebecca’s Well: New People For The New Millennium

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it: I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19)

Our God is the God of newness. The text reads, “I will do a new thing.” God is going to do a new thing in your life. The Holy Spirit says it will spring forth; and you shall know it because it’s happening already. You can feel it now. Watch for it for when you least expect it, there it is. Our God is not the God of the dead or stagnation. He is proactive, God of the living, the forward moving force and spirit in this world. He wants us to move, to continually evolve, change and press on.

Paul picks up the cadence in Philippans 3:13-14.
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high call of God in Christ Jesus.”

We serve a God who gives us new mercies every morning, all we have needed His hand has provided. Ours is a pressing on God. He is the God of new things and wants us to develop newness about life, and new enthusiasm for worship, work and play. God wants us to adopt a new attitude about the past, present and future aspects of our lives.

God counsels us to get a new attitude towards our finances, saving more and spending less. He relishes us to have a new experience in real devotional living; praying all through the day, and night seasons when we are awaken; singing and making melody in our hearts to God in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. (Ephesians 5:19) Present moment living with God is the key. Living our lives in the present means going on in the facing of illness, disappointments, death of loved ones, loss of job or having poor relationships. [Go deep into God.] Move from one degree of grace to another. “Study to show yourself approved unto God…(2 Timothy 2:15) Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Take time to be holy. Give God some time. Psalm 127 in the Good News Bible says, “it’s useless to get up early and stay up late working so hard, for a living God prepares for those He loves while they are asleep.” Now that’s my kind of God. His provision is tax-exempt. Trust Him for your needs. Philippans 4:19 reminds us, “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ.”

God promises to make a way where there is no way and living waters to flow in our desert lives.
The message today is one of newness, comfort and hope and it looks forward to the 7 new things of God in The Revelation: the new Heaven and the new Earth; the new People; the new Jerusalem; the new Temple; the new Light and the new Paradise and its River of the water of Life.
Amen. (Oh Yes!)

The Reverend Dr. Rebecca R. Rivka, LPC, is former School Psychologist, Portsmouth and Norfolk Public Schools; (ret.) Professor of Psychology, Norfolk State University; (ret.) Professional Counselor, Commonwealth of Virginia; Local Elder, Virginia Annual Conference, African Methodist Episcopal Church, and a faithful member of The historic Saint John’s AME Church, Norfolk, VA. The Reverend John D. Burton, Senior Pastor. She can be contacted at 757.321.8858 or rebecca.rivka09@gmail.com.