Moving Forward

Do not dwell on the past. See! God is doing a new thing!

Because the spring-like legs and powerful tail of kangaroos form a kind of tripod for balance and great forward motion, they cannot really move backwards. The males can shuffle or take small hops backwards when they are fighting, and Tree Kangaroos are able to move their legs independently, giving them a bit more mobility than their cousins. But overall, kangaroos are designed to move forward.

It seems God also designed people to move forward, not physically, of course, but emotionally and spiritually–from the past, through the present, and into the future. For example, many people long for the past, which may seem so much better than their present. However, in Ecclesiastes 7:10, Solomon writes, “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.” The problem with the glorious past is that it no longer exists. Even if you return to a beloved location, either it has changed, you have changed, or both. Besides, as humans longing for a home we have not experienced yet, an eternal home, we tend to idealize the past, airbrushing out its darker parts for a heavenly vision of what we left behind. Other people are haunted by their past through guilt (what horrible things they did) or shame (what horrible people they are). They would much rather forget those times, places, or people. But the gravity drags them back in regularly and shapes their identity as a failure, damaged goods, or a hopeless cause.

To those who long for the past and those who feel shackled by it, God says:

Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

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.

The wild animals honor me,

the jackals and the owls,

because I provide water in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland,

to give drink to my people, my chosen,

the people I formed for myself

that they may proclaim my praise (Isaiah 43:18-21).

No matter what happened formerly, whether it was glorious or ghastly, God says to you today, “I am doing a new thing!” To those who thirst for a place or a purity they have lost, to those who wonder where God is present in the present, He proclaims, “I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland … to give drink to my people …” To those who knew who they were before, but wonder today who they are and how they can face an uncertain future, God assures them that you are “… my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself.” You are God’s beloved, baptized, and redeemed child today and forever.

So, do not dwell on the past. Rejoice in God’s former blessings and learn from your mistakes, but move forward like the kangaroo, that your life may proclaim the praise of Him who lovingly holds your past, present, and future in His mighty hands.