Why Looking Back Keeps Us Stuck

Why Looking Back Keeps Us Stuck  Isaiah 43:18-19 “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.” I chose this verse because it made me think of the Chosen and also of what we talked about a lot in Encounter Ministries: a Renewal of the mind.  In the Chosen, people are always saying Jesus is doing things in a new way.  It’s like He is teaching them things they already know, but He is saying them in a completely new way.  There are shirts with sayings on them from the Chosen, and two of them are “We are not what we were,” and “Get used to different.” These shirts show us that after you have truly encountered Jesus, you are not the same, and that is a good thing.   I wanted to look up the meaning of this verse so my thoughts on it wouldn’t override what it was actually saying.  I am glad I did because I was focusing mostly on the words, “I am doing a new thing!”  This was what made me choose this verse: Jesus was doing something new during his 3 years of ministry.  He was doing and saying things that people hadn’t done or said before.  He was not afraid to speak the truth, the harsh realities to everyone, and yet he spoke them with love.  He spoke to them in a way they could actually hear and be changed by them.  Do we let the words we read in the Bible change us?  I was thinking this type of renewal of mind is what God was talking about in this verse.  However, after reading more about this verse, I think it is about a renewal, but maybe not exactly what I was thinking. The first part of the verse says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”  God does not want His people to focus on their past.  Sometimes we can get stuck focusing on our past and where we have been instead of looking ahead to where we are going.  I don’t think it was just about the problems they had in the past; I don’t think God wanted them to think about how He had helped them either.  The next verse says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” God is telling them He will help them in a different way than He has in the past.  Do you know why it is important to tell them this? Have you ever been expecting things to look a certain way, and when they don’t, you dismiss them?  What if you were so sure God would save you the same way He did last time that you missed the help He sent this time?  There is a parable of a drowning man that I think illustrates this idea.  A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help. Soon, a man in a rowboat came by, and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.”The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s OK, I’m praying to God, and he is going to save me.” So the rowboat went on. Then a motorboat came by. “The fellow in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, I can save you.” To this, the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God, and he is going to save me. I have faith.” So the motorboat went on. Then a helicopter came by, and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope, and I will lift you to safety.” To this, the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God, and he is going to save me. I have faith.” So the helicopter reluctantly flew away. Soon, the water rose above the rooftop, and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, “I had faith in you, but you didn’t save me; you let me drown. I don’t understand why!” To this, God replied, “I sent you a rowboat, a motorboat, and a helicopter. What more did you expect?” This might be a silly parable, and yet I think there is some truth to how we think or behave at times. Sometimes we think we know how God will save us or how He will help us.  Sometimes we are so sure we are right that we might miss out on what He really wants to do for us.  On one of the Witness Wednesday episodes, I talked about how Tony had been wanting to get out of the military for a while, and yet nothing was panning out for him.  Then, out of the blue, he needed to leave the Air Force, and the perfect civilian job opened up for him.  It didn’t look like the answer he was looking for, and actually, he had stopped looking for any answer.  He had decided to stay in and was okay with it.  However, God knew his heart, and although the method God used was not ideal in Tony’s eyes, the outcome was greater than we could have imagined.   This verse is for each one of us.  “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing something new! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” God does not want us dwelling in the past.  It is ok to briefly look back to see how far you have come and to make sure you don’t repeat the same mistakes, yet we aren’t meant to stay there.  Our focus should be on where we are going.  How will we ever get there if we are always looking back and never looking forward?  Also, hear God when He says, “I am doing a new thing!”  He is speaking this to you and to me.  He wants to do something new in your life; let Him.  Be on the lookout for this new thing.  If you are looking, you will find it.   The last sentence in the verse is for some of you in particular today.  You need to hear this today, and although I thought I chose this verse for all the reasons I already listed, the Holy Spirit is telling me He chose it so you could hear it today.  “I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” God wants you to know that He is making a way in the wilderness for you.  He is making streams in the wasteland.  I know it feels like there is no way forward. I have been there.  I know it feels impossible to see how you will get out of this situation.  I have been there too.  The answer is that God is making a way.  It is okay that we can’t see the way, because God doesn’t have to follow a path; He can make one.  He can do miraculous things to get us out of the completely ordinary and normal trouble we find ourselves in.  He loves us that much!! He loves you that much!  If you are in the middle of the wastelands right now, if you feel like you are in the wilderness, know that the Holy Spirit picked this verse just for you, and He wants you to know God is making a way through it all! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we want to see you in our everyday.  We thank you for doing something new, and we ask you to open our hearts and minds to see the new thing you are doing. Lord, we thank you for making a way where there isn’t one.  We ask you to help us to keep believing that this is possible and that you will get us through this.  Also, Lord, please take away this worry and this stress.  Help us to focus on you instead of our problems. Lord, we love you, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen. Thank you all for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. If you've been feeling distant from God lately, but you're not sure why, I created a free quiz called "What's Quietly Blocking Your Connection With God?" In just a few minutes, you'll discover one of four common obstacles that may be affecting your relationship with God. At the end, you'll receive a personalized result, a short podcast episode, and a mentoring replay chosen specifically for your result. (CLICK HERE).  I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I!  Have a blessed day! Today’s Word from the Lord was received in October 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email [email protected]. Today’s Word from the Lord is, “Go, my people, go. Go to the tops of the mountains. Shout from the rooftops. Shout my name. Shout my word. Shout who I am. Shout to all who will listen. Whisper in the ears of those who may be sick. Bring my word wherever you go. But go. Go and shout about my love. My great love for all.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace