by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Remembering the Past, Looking to the Future

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

This sign is posted in the window of what used to be The Thirsty Parrot Bar and Grill in Colorado Springs. This restaurant is a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. This placard is a sign of sadness for those who enjoyed this establishment. People who sat peering out the windows into the street now stare back into the restaurant with only their memories.

This sign also points to what’s coming next. Someone will snap up this piece of prime real estate. Once again people will come from points north and south, east and west to enjoy the company of friends and family. More memories will be created.

Signs have a way of reminding us of what was and pointing us to what will be.

“Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the LORD’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
Isaiah 55:13 New Living Translation

Isaiah calls people to remember what was and look forward to what lies ahead. The sign that God provided for Israel caused the people to remember that they had turned their backs on God, forsaken his ways, and were carried off into exile.

Yet this same sign also pointed them to an amazing future of forgiveness and blessing. God remembered their sins no more. God remembers your sins no more. We have the sure sign of the cross on which Christ died. It forgives us for all our past mistakes and it points us to an amazing future that we will realize when we are in Christ’s presence.

You will notice the blurred image of a man sitting on a bench in this picture. Imagine yourself as that person staring at this sign, but imagine that the sign is Jesus’ cross that is before you. Allow his cross to forgive your past and point you to his future.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado