Isaiah 43:18, 19 - Serendipity and Expecting the Unexpected.
Isaiah 43:18, 19 (NKJV) "Do not remember the
former things, Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring
forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a
road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
COMMENTARY PEARL
It had been a long time since Horace
Walpole smiled. Too long. Life for him had become as
drab as the weather in dreary old England. Then,
on a grim winter day in 1754, while reading a
Persian fairy tale, his smile returned. He wrote his
longtime friend, Horace Mann, telling him of the
"thrilling approach to life" he had discovered from the
folk tale.
The ancient tale told of three princes
from the island of Ceylon who set out on a
pursuit of great treasures. They never found that
for which they searched, but en route they were
continually surprised by delights they had never
anticipated. While looking for one thing, they found
another.
The original name of Ceylon was Serendip,
which explains the title of this story - "The
Three Princes of Serendip." From that, Walpole
coined the wonderful word "serendipity." And from
then on, his most significant and valued
experiences were those that happened to him while he was
least expecting them.
Serendipity occurs when something
beautiful breaks into the monotonous and the mundane.
A serendipitous life is marked by
"surprisability" and spontaneity. When we lose our capacity
for either, we settle into life's ruts. We
expect little and we're seldom disappointed.
Though I have walked with God for several
decades, I must confess I still find much about Him
incomprehensible and mysterious. But this much I know: He
delights in surprising us. He dots our pilgrimage
from earth to heaven with amazing serendipities.
Isaiah's words make me smile every time I
read them because I have seen their truth come to
pass time and again. God still stands behind this
promise:
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive
it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland. (Isa.
43:19 NIV)
Your situation may be as hot and barren
as a desert or as forlorn and meaningless as a
wasteland. You may be tempted to think, "There's no
way!" when someone suggests things could change.
All I ask is that you read that verse one more
time and be on the lookout. God may very well be
planning a serendipity in your life.
God has been doing "a new thing" in drab
deserts and wintry wastelands for centuries.
God delights in surprising us. He dots
our pilgrimage from earth to heaven with amazing
serendipities. [Chuck Swindoll www.insight.org.]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20171227-0950.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050413-1006.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
