“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.”
Isaiah 43:18 NLT

Our brains often get stuck in the past. Caught in a repeating cycle of information that seemingly runs of its own free will. Usually, it is a rerun of something we would rather forget about, but can’t seem to. Are we slaves to our thought life? Can we have power over our minds? What does the Bible say about all of this? This verse found in Isaiah suggests that we can have freedom and choice when it comes to what we ponder in our minds.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJ

When we experience something new, our brains automatically try to catalog it so that when anything remotely similar happens again we are reminded, and will know how to respond accordingly. When we remember things in the past, we can either be comforted by it or it can be something that causes fear within us. Not all experiences are pleasant and good. But what do we do with these memories that come up? The Bible tells us to recall or remember certain events and forget others. But why would this verse tell us to forget the things of old, perhaps even the good things that The Lord did? The verse preceding our key verse gives an example of one of the greatest instances where God swooped in and saved His people, and yet He is saying He has better things ahead. Take a look! 

“I called forth the mighty army of Egypt with all its chariots and horses. I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned, their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.”
Isaiah 43:17 NLT

God is inviting us to expect the unexpected. He knows how our memories work and the default modes we find ourselves in. The thought patterns we get stuck in and our unwillingness to change or try something new. It’s kind of like telling your kids about a trip to Disneyland when they have never been before. You tell them that it’s bigger and better than anything they could imagine, but all they keep asking about is what it’s like and continue to compare it to things they already know and have experienced. “Is it like a really big birthday party?” “How about the state fair or the town carnival?” It’s easier to just tell them to forget anything they have experienced, because they are all nothing compared to what Disneyland is going to be! That is exactly what God is saying in this verse. He is about to do something that will be like going to a big amusement park for the very first time, and God cannot wait to take us there and see our joy.

I challenge you to walk in such a way that lives out what it means to have GREAT expectations because our God is faithful and trustworthy. He never breaks a promise and always fulfills them. So….EXPECT it! We can have something to hope for when nothing else makes sense in our world around us. His peace is a promise and it’s a promise He keeps. Can I encourage you with one last thing? Go listen to a song titled “P E A C E” by Hillsong Young & Free.

Be blessed!

- Jessica Ritchie