{"id":898,"date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovesg.and-code.com\/?p=898"},"modified":"2023-08-03T16:59:04","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T08:59:04","slug":"day-32-from-my-fathers-god-to-my-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovesg.and-code.com\/en\/day-32-from-my-fathers-god-to-my-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 32: From my father\u2019s God to my God"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Isaiah 43:19<\/cite> \u201cSee, 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.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We often get excited with the <\/span>new<\/span><\/i>. New year, new season, new things! The assumption? \u201cNew\u201d equals \u201cGood\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But I recently read through the book of Joshua and Judges again. And it hit me that <\/span>new <\/span><\/i>wasn’t always <\/span>good<\/span><\/i>. After Joshua’s generation had passed, a new generation arose who repeatedly <\/span>failed<\/span><\/i> to drive out the inhabitants of the promised land (Judges 1:19-35). Why?<\/span><\/p>\n

They neglected the Covenant of old. God’s Covenant made with the generations who had gone before them (Judges 2:1-15).\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

It was a <\/span>new<\/span><\/i> generation that forgot the amazing things He had done (Judges 2:10). They didn\u2019t treasure the promises of old (Judges 2:1). They didn\u2019t follow through on His commands (Judges 2:2). Instead, they abandoned Him (Judges 2:12), turned from Him and turned to idols (Judges 2:11).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I saw two critical calls from Judges 2: <\/span><\/p>\n

1. To<\/b> return <\/i><\/b>to the Lord.<\/b><\/span> Turn from idols, repent and witness how the Lord rescues us in His compassion.<\/p>\n

2. To <\/b>remember<\/i><\/b> the old.<\/b><\/span> In each new season, it can be tempting to assume the best is yet to be.<\/p>\n

I confess to my excitement over new things \u2013 new dreams, new visions. But will I have the humility to first look back and see to the fruition of the old? To champion the dreams God has placed in generations before and be faithful to live by <\/span>His<\/span><\/i> promises?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.\u201d <\/span><\/i>(Isaiah 43:19)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

My job isn\u2019t to seek out a new thing. The New Thing is His doing. The New Thing belongs to Him! In a world that clamours to be the first, the leaders and the pioneers, will I be satisfied if I weren\u2019t the Catalyst or Cause of transformation, but simply a part of it?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our task is to Return to the Lord. And Remember His promises of old just as the Israelites did at Gilgal (Joshua 4). So, rather than seeking out something new, I want to be faithful to cling onto God’s promises, live in simple obedience and see the fulfilment of the “old”. In doing so, we <\/span>will<\/span><\/i> witness a new thing because the Lord will make a way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Joshua didn’t step into leadership to seek out a new vision or a new land. He <\/span>persevered <\/span><\/i>in leading the people into the same vision, the same land the Lord had promised through Moses!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My job isn\u2019t to seek out a new thing. The New Thing is His doing. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In 2024, the LoveTimor Vision turns 20 years old.<\/span> The call went out in 2004 for the Church of Singapore to adopt this nation as our own and send out missionaries to love East Timor. It was a bold vision for the Church to love our neighbour, Asia\u2019s youngest and poorest nation, and to see her transformed by the love of Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

I arrived in Timor just last year as a new missionary stepping into a 20-year-old vision, inspired by many who have sown into this land. We now see churches in every district and disciples in various spheres of society. I asked the Lord: \u201cWhat\u2019s next?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The word I received was: \u201cThere is <\/span>more<\/span><\/i>. We\u2019re not done yet!\u201d The vision is no longer new. But as we remember the old things, the Lord will do a New Thing!<\/span><\/p>\n

I recently met a 75-year-old Timorese man living in the rural mountains of Timor. He cannot read nor write. Yet he yearns for God\u2019s Word. He prayed for years for the Lord to send pastors or missionaries so that he may hear His Word. The Lord answered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now he listens intently to every sermon \u2013 and immediately goes into the villages to share all he learnt, with a heart burning to make disciples.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Twenty years on, let\u2019s not forget Timor. We\u2019re not done yet. The harvest is not only ripe, the harvest force awaits! Pray into a season of witnessing a nation of disciple-makers to come from this nation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The late Ps Rick Seaward shared in 2018: \u201c[Singapore is] called to challenge other cities and nations\u00a0 to be Antiochs.\u201d If our call is to be an Antioch of Antiochs until Timor herself becomes a <\/span>sending <\/span><\/i>nation, we\u2019re not done yet! Let\u2019s pray:<\/span><\/p>\n

Lord, may we be found faithful. Help us return to You and remember the old, as You do a new, eternal thing to bring salvation to the nations.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In Jesus\u2019 name, Amen.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n

Download the PDF version of today\u2019s devotional here<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Isaiah 43:19 \u201cSee, 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.\u201d We often get excited with the new. New year, new season, new things! The assumption? \u201cNew\u201d equals \u201cGood\u201d.\u00a0 But I recently read through the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,3],"tags":[33,62,126,127,122,123,125,124],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDay 32: From my father\u2019s God to my God — lovesingapore<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lovesg.and-code.com\/en\/day-32-from-my-fathers-god-to-my-god\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Day 32: From my father\u2019s God to my God — lovesingapore\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Isaiah 43:19 \u201cSee, I am doing a new thing! 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