Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
12 29 2025
I AM Doing a New Thing – What Will You Do with It?
“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.” Isaiah 43:18–19
It amazes me how often the words “I AM” appear in Scripture. Yet, sadly, we often borrow these words for ourselves: “I am doing this… I am that…” There are too many “I’s” in our striving, planning, and living.
I love another pair of words even more, words that have saved me countless times: “But God.” “But God” intervened, He changed my path, He saved me from… He is my strength and my song. “But God.” Think about it. How many times have we faced calamity, hardship, tragedy, or despair—and yet
“But God” stepped in?
Isaiah 43:19 declares, “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.” This isn’t a promise of a better New Year’s resolution or the latest weight-loss fad. This was the prophecy of Jesus, the ultimate superhighway to God’s presence—and one day, our eternal home.
Isaiah wrote these words 2,600–2,800 years ago, during the Babylonian exile. His words were about Jesus’ coming—but what do they mean for me today? My wife is struggling with health issues. My son is living apart from God. My checkbook is dismal. And I have cancer.
The Message Bible renders Isaiah 43:18–19 like this: Let me read it again.
“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.”
Another version says:
“Behold, I will do a new thing; now shall it spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
Yes, Jesus came. And for those of us who have accepted Him, He lives within us. His words never return void—they accomplish exactly what He intends. God will make a new way… for you… for me. He calls us not to stay stuck in the past, because the past can blind us to His promises.
You might think, “But she, he, they… are not healed. I’m still facing the uncertainties of my cancer prognosis.” That’s human thinking. But God continually reminds us that it’s His will and His way—and He alone accomplishes it. He offers new hope, peace in the storm, and the strength to endure.
The world screams: Run! Worry! Panic! But God whispers: “I will renew your strength like the eagle, and I will make a way for you.”
What is this New Thing?
It is His presence here and now. It is hope. Renewal. Peace. God’s power to create a way forward when there seems to be none. It may not always change our circumstances immediately, but it transforms our hearts so we can walk in His peace—no matter what.
Our purpose in living for Christ hasn’t changed, even if our circumstances have. Let go of the illusion of control and rest in His grace. “But God,” He says, “I will make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
The wilderness—our times of testing, isolation, temptation, sorrow, or waiting—is not wasted. It is training. A call to trust Him. To pray. To hope. To walk in faith.
Call on Him. Say it daily: “As for me and my house, we will trust the Lord.”
Give it to Him—again and again. Twenty times a day if necessary. Rest in Him, and you will know His peace, even in the storm. Let joy be your strength.
Jesus endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). We are heirs with Christ, and one day we will join Him. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.
Isaiah 43:2 reminds us: we may not be spared trials—but we will never face them without Him. He doesn’t say if you pass through the waters. He says when. And when you do, He will be there. Always.
CeCe Winans – Holy Forever
