It’s a “will worship” morning (Colossians 2:23). I’ll use Psalm 123:1-3 for Temple worship today. (I’m a priest (Revelation 1:6), serving His Temple (1 Corinthians 3:17), presenting spiritual sacrifices (1 Peter 2:5).

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Isaiah 48. I remembered brother Van Horn’s message, in which he included a reference to verse 13, “Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.”

I pondered the great size of our Mighty GOD, and the security that is mine in His hand (John 10:29). I searched, and found the wound that inscribed His eternal love (John 20:27).

But the Mind of the Spirit caught the attention of the spirit of my mind in verse 7, and I wondered at the declaration:

Isaiah 48:7 They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

“They are created now, and not from the beginning” (Isaiah 48:7). What? I found this fascinating! God continues creation?

Along the still waters, I reflected on what it is that God creates now that was not created from the beginning. What “new thing” does He do now to ensure we don’t make the mistake of thinking we knew about this and expected it?

I considered Isaiah 48:5 where GOD says He declared His acts before they came to pass to ensure His people did not imagine their idols, the graven and molten images of their vanity, performed the works. The testimony of Scripture rebukes them because GOD declared the event before it came to pass.

Then, in verse 7, the Spirit says God showed them “new things,” which had not been created from the beginning. These were things He did, surprisingly, unexpectedly, things not created from the beginning, but created during their time, so they could not say, “I knew them.” They would have to admit that God created something new. This is what He did in Numbers 16:30, where He did a “new thing” and opened the earth to swallow Korah and his wicked family (Numbers 16). In another example, God declared He would do a “new thing” and make a way in the wilderness (Isaiah 43:19). In this case, He made rivers in the desert.

It occurred to me that the above “new thing” that GOD did happened in the wilderness. He brought forth water from the rock to make “rivers in the desert.” A blessing. Also, He did the new thing of opening the earth to swallow the grumbling, mummuring Israelites during their journeys in the wilderness.

Isaiah testified that GOD did another “new thing in the earth”: “How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man” (Jeremiah 31:22). (Compass: to drive, to lead, to besiege, inclose—Strongs H5437.)

What “new thing” will GOD do next? Will He do a new curse or a new blessing? He directed my understanding: “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). He molds light into a form—“Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). He also “creates darkness” (dispatch, do). He “makes peace,” and He creates evil. Which will He do?

In the valley of the shadow of death, CHRIST met with me, and He directed my understanding: He is fully engaged in His creation, deploying His power to create whatever is needed. What will He do next in our lives? Whatever it is, the only way to get to His blessing is to obey His call: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. His goodness and mercy followed us into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live later this evening. (Much too engaged at present!)