“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.” Isa. 43:18-19. “This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.” V. 21. It is a very important exhortation that we shall remember neither the former things nor consider the things of old, or the past. Christ wants to lead us into His marvelous light and into the glory that follows with new things He wants to create in us and work in us. The devil, the prince of darkness, who also bears the terrible name “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev. 12:10), always tries to rivet our eyes on things that cause discouragement, even despair. However, if we have asked Jesus to forgive us our sins and have brought our life into order where it concerns other people and where we have had a bad conscience, then we can turn our back on the powers of darkness for all time. Christ has redeemed us with His precious blood from all manner of sin—be it great or small. The devil will attempt to drag up what Jesus has cast into the sea of forgetfulness; but we can resist him, steadfast in the faith, and he will flee from us. Through faith we have been translated forever from darkness to light, from death to life, and from Satan’s power to God. Having been set free from sin, we have become servants of God. Then we have our fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. Everything that is new and good can spring forth in this redemption process from sin, and only then will we experience it. Living rivers are now flowing through fertile fields where we formerly lived a desert life. We will truly experience it to our own, as well as to other people’s, joy and happiness. We are being molded to declare the praises of the Lord! May all our interests and all our thoughts be in this new thing. We have a glorious future ahead of us in Christ, a future of light and life, of rest and thankfulness, of joy and peace. Paul writes in Philippians 3:13-14: “But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul’s goal was the victory prize, and no one can give expression to the full meaning of this victory prize. 1 Cor. 2:9. Paul exhorts those who are young: “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Tim. 2:22. May nothing of the old life be a hindrance or a constant bother to us. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17. The virtues of Christ encompass everything that is new, and should it not spring forth now as never before? Then it will be a blessed new year with joy and peace and a living hope for ourselves, though there might be ever so much unrest and anxiety around us. All of heaven is on our side. “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” Rev. 3:12-13; 21:2.Aksel J. Smith

“But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’ (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, ‘“Who will descend into the abyss?”’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” “For ‘whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” V. 13. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” V. 17. Many people struggle and toil to come into contact with Christ. However, in their prayers they strive to lay hold of Christ more through their emotions than through faith in the Word. They pray and pray without having a Word in their hearts. They also read the Word of God and try to understand it so they can have an assurance in their hearts instead of believing it like a child. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” 1 John 1:1, 14. “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” 1 Thess. 2:13. Many religious people go to prayer meetings; they even fast and pray. But what do they really want? They want to feel a blessing or power come over them. They want to have revival among unbelievers; they want to see signs and wonders. And they feel that Christ is so far away. They strive and strive to bring Christ down from heaven, or to bring Him up from the abyss. “Through whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations to the glory of His name.” Rom. 1:5. Most people pray “out in the blue” so they can spend what they have prayed for on their lusts. Jas. 4:1-3. They do not have a word to which they can be obedient, as we can see in the epistle of James. The result is disunity, jealousy, competition, backbiting, and anxiety. However, the obedience of the Romans had become known to all. Rom. 16:19. The Word had effectively worked in them; it was being fulfilled in their lives, but they still received the exhortation to be wise in what was good and pure from evil. They did not beat the air; neither did they run with uncertainty. 1 Cor. 9:26-27. Two blind men called out to Jesus, and Jesus asked them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They were in need, and they knew what to answer. Matt. 20:30-34. When you pray, are you beating the air, or do you have the Word on your heart which you want to be fulfilled in your life? “Be anxious for nothing . . . .” “Let your meekness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” “And be good to one another, merciful, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.” “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren.” “Be tenderhearted to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another,” etc., etc. If you have a Word in your heart and you know what you want Jesus to do for you, then He is near you in your heart, and you will receive power and grace; He will fulfill His Word in your life to His own glory.Sigurd Bratlie