Chronicle Editor
GREETINGS beloved nation. Isaiah 43:18-19, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
We have just entered into a new season of 2024 and I mentioned a few weeks ago that a new season or a new year must come with a new garment and new experiences. In this season we have just entered of 2024, God wants to do a new thing in our lives, our families, our businesses, our ministries.
In 1 Chronicles 12:32, the bible tells us about the children of Issachar, “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” There are two things here, (i) they understood the seasons and (ii) they knew what Israel ought to do.
As believers it is important that we understand when a new season is coming and to know what you have to do in that particular season. When you enter a new season, each season will have specific instructions and those are not written down but they are discerned through the Holy Spirit.
Now when God tells us that He is going to do a new thing in Isaiah 43:19, before He brings that to pass, he gives an instruction in verse 18, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.”
The meaning is that we shouldn’t focus on past failures, defeats, discouragements, battles of the past season, things that have hurt you, betrayals from those around you. In other words, God is saying don’t dwell on the past. Yes, things might have not gone well in past season.
Business might have failed, relationships might have broken down, and you could have lost your job. But the bible says “remember ye not . . . , neither consider”.
It doesn’t mean those memories will be automatically erased from your mind or you will simply forget. No! It means don’t spend time dwelling on the past failures or even victories. Don’t camp there. Why! Because God wants to do a new thing in your life in this new season. The bible says ‘behold’ other versions say “look” “see”.
So when God tells us to “behold” he is saying focus your attention on him and not on the past, focus on him and what he wants to do. If you are continuously looking behind you at the past things, you cannot see what lies ahead of you. So God says “behold” take a look and see, remove your eyes away from past things, and focus on what is ahead, what I want to do. In order to partake on the new season and what God wants to do, it will take us to align with what he says or an instruction that he gives us as individuals or the church. In the book of Luke 5:1-9 we read about how Jesus was standing by the lake and saw two boats that had been left there by some fishermen.
He goes on to request to use one of the boats from where he taught the word of God. Having finished Jesus then instructs Simon to launch out into the deep water and let down “nets” for a catch.
They had been in shallow waters and toiled all night and caught nothing. When Jesus came they were washing their nets, so meaning they had given up and were getting ready to go home. Maybe you are in the same situation. You have been toiling in your business and caught nothing. You have tried many things in your life, your business, your ministry, your marriage but whatever you have tried has yielded no positive results.
Some of you are on the verge of giving up because you haven’t seen any results. Like the fishermen in the boats you have been working all night, days, weeks, months and even years, and you haven’t caught or produced a thing. You might be saying to yourself, why bother?
You probably haven’t been catching or produced anything because you have been fishing in shallow waters. Yes, you have been doing everything you know how to do, but still your best efforts are not catching you any fish.
God says “launch into the deep” in this new season, he is doing a new thing. Maybe the strategies you have been using in your business have produced no results, God wants to show you new strategies that will catch you many fish. When Jesus told Simon to launch into the deep, essentially what He was telling Him to do was to try a new strategy.
The strategy Simon was using to catch fish, though once effective, was no longer working. Simon and the other fisherman toiled all night long but didn’t catch anything! How many of us have been doing the same thing but with no results! You can keep toiling with those old strategies or you can ask God for a new one. Understand, the new strategy God is going to give you will require you to launch out into the deep and leave your comfort zone.
The Bible tells us in Luke 5:4 that Jesus tells Simon to “let down your nets for a catch”. Simon however obeys the instruction partially and he says “nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.” Jesus speaks of “nets” and yet Simon lets down ‘a net’. Maybe in his mind Simon was thinking that he doesn’t want to waste his time and energy letting down many nets, it could have been ten or more.
I believe even if he had let down 100 nets he would have caught that many fish. So instead he chose to let down one net, just in case. That unfortunately is the attitude that many believers have.
We think maybe or maybe not it might happen. We therefore limit God and what he wants to do. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 43:19, “now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?’ When God is ushering in a new season, we have to perceive it, otherwise we shall miss out.
To perceive this new season, it will take discernment. Launch into the deep in prayer, in intimacy with God, in worship, in serving God. Ask from the Holy Spirit what it is that you ought to do, like the children of Issachar who knew what Israel ought to do at a particular season.
The reward of your obedience will yield you unbelievable results. After Peter followed Jesus’ instructions, He caught so many fish that his net began to tear.
I would like to invite you to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and saviour, by believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that he is your Lord and saviour, and you shall be saved. May God bless you all.
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