By Pastor Mark Moreno

Jesus Is Doing Something New

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

I recently took a trip to Arkansas and had a chance to visit an old mill that has since been repurposed and incorporated into a local park. It is a beautiful image that we have for consideration today, with flowers in front on an old stone mill with water spilling over a waterwheel. Apparently it is famous for its appearance in the opening of Gone With The Wind!

I am absolutely amazed when I see old structures that are still in use. When you visit the old parts of a town, you can just see the age and wear. So much of the time, places are turned into modern state of the art venues that are shiny and new. Give me the old and worn out any day!

I suppose that is how I am looking at this new year: Will it be more of the old or will it be something new? Perhaps as you reflect on 2025 it may have been a rough year. Or hopefully it was great! But in either scenario, it would be fair for you to wonder if this year will be any different.

In Isaiah 43 we read,

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

– Isaiah 43:18-19, ESV

I frequently say that there is no future in the past. We can’t go back and change things, but we can let past experiences shape us by growing in a healthy way. Those past experiences can be hard, but we made it through! Those past experiences can be great, so we thank God and look forward to more!

Just a few verses later Isaiah tells us about the power and beauty of the new:

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

– Isaiah 43:25, ESV

In this context, the new is all about forgiveness. It is about putting sin and hurt behind us and embracing what God has for us today!

Yes, the turning over of a calendar can be a mix of emotions, thoughts and experiences. But I am so thankful that God walked with me the whole time and he walks with you too! Not only that, but He has placed people in our lives to experience the fullness of life.

My prayer for you is that your wheels keep on spinnin’! I hope that your 2026 is a wonderful year that is marked by growing closer to God and growing closer to the people He has placed in your life. You are loved, you are valued, you are forgiven!

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado