When God’s New Work Confronts Old Rulers
“Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it?” - Isaiah 43:19a (CSB)
God’s question in Isaiah 43 is gentle, but it is not neutral. “Do you not see it?” is not a statement of impatience. It is an invitation to examine what has been shaping perception.
Israel could not see what God was doing, not because God was inactive, but because something else had become authoritative. Their past pain, disappointment, and unmet expectations were interpreting the present for them. The exile had not only displaced them geographically. It had begun to rule their hearts.
This is where God’s new work often feels threatening rather than comforting.
We want God to change our circumstances, but we resist Him changing what controls us. We ask for movement forward while holding tightly to familiar fears, coping mechanisms, and narratives that feel safer than trust. But God does not simply renovate environments. He reclaims allegiance.
New beginnings in Scripture are never neutral. They confront whatever has quietly taken the place of God’s voice. Fear. Control. Shame. Self-protection. The past itself. These things begin to function as rulers when they define what we believe is possible, safe, or true.
God’s question exposes this gently but clearly. “Do you not see it?” assumes that something is happening. The issue is not God’s faithfulness. The issue is whether His people are willing to release what has been interpreting reality for them.
This is why God’s new work often feels disruptive. It challenges the authority of old masters. It invites us to stop letting past wounds dictate future obedience. It asks us to trust God’s character more than our accumulated experience.
Exposure is not punishment. It is mercy. God reveals what still rules the heart so it can finally be surrendered and redeemed. He does not expose to condemn. He exposes to heal.
If God is doing something new in your life, it may not feel like relief at first. It may feel like confrontation. But that confrontation is grace, because God cannot move us forward while false rulers remain in control.
Reflection Question
What has been shaping your expectations and decisions more than trust in God’s character?
God exposes old rulers not to shame us, but to free us.
Prayer
Father, I confess that fear, control, and past wounds have often spoken louder than Your promises. Thank You for loving me enough to confront what still rules my heart. Help me release what I’ve been clinging to and trust You fully. Reclaim my allegiance and lead me forward in freedom. Amen.
God’s question in Isaiah 43 is gentle, but it is not neutral. “Do you not see it?” is not a statement of impatience. It is an invitation to examine what has been shaping perception.
Israel could not see what God was doing, not because God was inactive, but because something else had become authoritative. Their past pain, disappointment, and unmet expectations were interpreting the present for them. The exile had not only displaced them geographically. It had begun to rule their hearts.
This is where God’s new work often feels threatening rather than comforting.
We want God to change our circumstances, but we resist Him changing what controls us. We ask for movement forward while holding tightly to familiar fears, coping mechanisms, and narratives that feel safer than trust. But God does not simply renovate environments. He reclaims allegiance.
New beginnings in Scripture are never neutral. They confront whatever has quietly taken the place of God’s voice. Fear. Control. Shame. Self-protection. The past itself. These things begin to function as rulers when they define what we believe is possible, safe, or true.
God’s question exposes this gently but clearly. “Do you not see it?” assumes that something is happening. The issue is not God’s faithfulness. The issue is whether His people are willing to release what has been interpreting reality for them.
This is why God’s new work often feels disruptive. It challenges the authority of old masters. It invites us to stop letting past wounds dictate future obedience. It asks us to trust God’s character more than our accumulated experience.
Exposure is not punishment. It is mercy. God reveals what still rules the heart so it can finally be surrendered and redeemed. He does not expose to condemn. He exposes to heal.
If God is doing something new in your life, it may not feel like relief at first. It may feel like confrontation. But that confrontation is grace, because God cannot move us forward while false rulers remain in control.
Reflection Question
What has been shaping your expectations and decisions more than trust in God’s character?
God exposes old rulers not to shame us, but to free us.
Prayer
Father, I confess that fear, control, and past wounds have often spoken louder than Your promises. Thank You for loving me enough to confront what still rules my heart. Help me release what I’ve been clinging to and trust You fully. Reclaim my allegiance and lead me forward in freedom. Amen.
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