3 Day Devotional: Noticing God in a New Year - Day 3

Scripture:
Isaiah 43:19–21 (NRSV)
19I am about to do 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. 20The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, 21the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.

Reflection:
God does not ask the people if they believe or understand the new thing. God asks if they perceive it. Because the issue is not whether God is acting—it is whether God’s people are paying attention.

God’s new work does not begin with explanation. It begins with noticing.
The “new thing” is not a replacement of who God is. It is a fresh expression of God’s faithfulness. And it doesn’t look like an escape from the wilderness—it looks like provision within it. A way in the wilderness. Rivers in the desert.

God may not remove the season you are in, but God is already at work sustaining you within it. The goal is not just relief. It is relationship. It is worship. Even the wilderness becomes a place of testimony when God’s people learn how to notice.

Reflection Questions:
Where might God already be at work that you’ve overlooked because it feels ordinary or quiet?
What would it look like to align yourself with God’s agenda instead of asking God to bless yours?

Prayer:
God, slow me down enough to perceive what You are already doing. Help me notice Your presence in ordinary moments and trust that You are active even now. Amen.