Introduction

Some of us walked in today with a pocket full of yesterdays. Regrets that still ring. Promises we meant to keep. Prayers that feel unanswered. You can almost hear the echo of the past in your soul. But there is Another Voice—steady and kind—that breaks through the static. He says, “Behold, I will do a new thing.” Our God loves words like new, restore, refresh. He paints lilies on wastelands and writes grace across pages we thought were ruined. He is not wringing His hands. He is rolling up His sleeves.

Maybe you’ve been wandering through dry places—worry in one hand, weariness in the other. Maybe your heart has been bowing before lesser loves: the approval of people, the pressure of performance, the safety of control. Little kings that demand everything and give nothing. Can I ask you a simple question? What if today the Lord wants to lift your chin, steady your steps, and remind you who He is and who you are?

Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “The ultimate test of our spirituality is the measure of our amazement at the grace of God.” Friend, grace isn’t a drizzle; it’s a flood. Grace doesn’t patch you up; it makes you new. Grace doesn’t whisper half-hope; it sings over you with a strong, saving song. And grace has a name: Jesus.

Today we will listen to the God who calls His people to praise, who gives water in the wilderness, and who blots out transgressions for His own sake. We will lift our eyes with Paul and set our minds on things above, where Christ is. We will remember that we are God’s workmanship, handcrafted for holy work, already prepared for us to walk in. Does your heart need that hope? Mine does. Does your mind need that mercy? Mine does. Do your hands need that purpose? Mine do.

So take a deep breath. Let your shoulders loosen. Let the past be what it is, and let the promises of God be what they will be—sure, strong, and already on the move. The Lord who names stars knows your name. The King who carves rivers in deserts can carry you through this day. He’s nearer than your next breath and kinder than your best thought of Him. He is worthy of worship and able to be trusted. And He is inviting us to live like people who have been called by a new name, washed clean by a willing Savior, and raised to walk in works that sparkle with His glory.

Here is the word we will read together:

Isaiah 43:18-28 (KJV) 18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 19 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. 20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. 22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. 23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. 24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. 25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. 26 Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. 27 Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me. 28 Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.

Colossians 3:1-4 (KJV) 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV) 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Opening Prayer: Father, we quiet our hearts before You. Thank You that Your mercies are new this morning and Your faithfulness is steady tonight and every day in between. Speak over our past with Your promise. Where we have chased lesser gods, turn our hearts back to You. Where we have worn the name Jacob—grasping, anxious, weary—rename us Israel, beloved and called. Lord Jesus, blot out our sins, wash our wounds, and lift our eyes to where You are seated. Holy Spirit, open the Scriptures, open our ears, open our hands. Lead us to trust, to worship, and to walk in the good works You have prepared. Let the desert places in us receive Your rivers. Let praise rise in us like morning light. In the strong name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Only God deserves worship and trust

Worship rises from sight. You see the Lord as He is, and your heart bows. Trust grows from the same sight. You hear His promise, and your weight shifts onto Him. This is not theory. It touches how you pray, how you spend, how you wait, how you sing.

Isaiah shows a God who acts. He does not sit far away. He steps into dry places and makes a roadway. He shapes a people with His hands. He means for that people to sound like praise. That is the shape of a life turned toward Him.

Worship is not a mood. It is a response to His worth. He is Creator. He is Redeemer. He is faithful to His name. He does not need anything from us to be full. He is full, and out of that fullness He forgives and leads.

Trust is not a feeling that comes and goes. It is a steady lean. You hear His word and you choose to rest there. You see His past care and you expect His present help. You walk on the path He lays down. You drink the water He gives. Your soul learns His pace.

Colossians lifts our eyes higher than our screens and fears. Christ is at the right hand of God. He is not shaky or tired. Your life is wrapped up with Him. Hidden, safe, real. When He appears, your true life will shine with Him. That future reaches back into today and steadies your steps.

Ephesians reminds us how the story starts. Grace moves first. Faith receives what grace gives. There is no room for pride. God crafts us with care in Christ. He has already set good works along the path. We step into them with open hands and steady hearts. Worship and trust turn into action.

Some days you feel strong. Some days you feel thin. The Lord holds both days. He forgives sins that cling. He heals places that ache. He writes new lines where old ones broke. So you turn toward Him again. You open your mouth in praise. You lift your hands in prayer. You take the next faithful step.

This begins with the Lord’s voice through Isaiah. “Forget the former things,” He says, and then He speaks of something new springing up. He promises a roadway where there was none and streams where the ground cracked. Even wild creatures notice and give Him honor because He supplies water for those He chose. He formed this people for Himself so they would declare His praise. Do you hear the order? He forms, He provides, He promises, He calls. Praise is the echo of His action. Trust is the answer to His pledge. When life feels like a long stretch of sand, He tells you where to look and where to walk. He has purposes that do not stall. He has care that reaches into empty places. So your heart bends low before Him and your feet move with Him.

Then the Lord names a hard truth in the same passage. The people had grown tired of calling on Him. Offerings grew thin. Sins piled up and weighed everything down. The Lord did not turn away in disgust. He spoke a shocking word. “I, even I, blot out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Think about that. He ties His name to mercy. He takes the stains and wipes them clean because His honor is to save. He invites them to call it to mind with Him, to speak freely, to stand in His light. This is the ground of worship. This is the bedrock of trust. He is the kind of King who carries the cost Himself. When you know that, you come near. You bring your whole heart. You stop hiding.

Paul adds a clear call in Colossians. “If you have been raised with Christ,” he says, “seek the things above.” Set your affection there. Christ sits at the right hand of God. That is the control seat of the universe. Your life is tucked in with Him. Safe from the rise and fall of public opinion. Safe from the rush of trends and fears. You can live here on earth with a mind set there. That means your desires start to match His. Your choices start to fit His ways. And when He appears, you will appear with Him in glory. That promise is not cloudy. It is solid. It gives fuel to your praise and backbone to your trust.

Ephesians speaks to the core of how we stand before God. Grace saves through faith. Human effort cannot earn it, so no one can brag. This keeps our hearts soft. This keeps our hands open. Then Paul says we are His workmanship. God’s own art. Shaped in Christ Jesus for good works. Those works are already prepared. Think of a path laid out before sunrise. All you do is walk it as the day unfolds. Trust shows up as steps taken. Worship shows up as thanks given while you walk. Grace undergirds both.

Some days you feel strong. Some days you feel thin. The Lord holds both days. He forgives sins that cling. He heals places that ache. He writes new lines where old ones broke. So you turn toward Him again. You open your mouth in praise. You lift your hands in prayer. You take the next faithful step.

Called to become Israel not remain Jacob

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