forget all that.

In Isaiah 43, God talks a bit about the miracles He’s performed. And then, in verse 18, He says, “But forget all that––it is nothing compared to what I’m about to do.”

Verse 19 goes on to talk about the new thing He is doing, that He has already begun, and, “Do you not see it?”

I’ll be honest, I think about verse 19 and the new thing a lot more than I think about forgetting what God has done in the past.

You know why? Because I like holding on to and remembering what God has done in the past. I take something of a “yes and” posture.

Yes, that. And the new. Thankssomuch.

But that’s not what He actually says. He says to forget “all that.” Drop it from your mind.

So, a few weeks ago, I practiced praying verse 18. I prayed that I would forget “all that” He’s done in order to posture myself for what He’s about to do, and has already begun doing.

I say “practiced” because I can’t even tell you how quickly I backtracked. “I mean, I don’t really want to forget.”

I literally said that out loud. And then I just sat there in my car, in silence. Because what do you do with that but let it hang in the air between you and God?

But here’s the thing I was working out in real time. I can forget what God has done in the past because that’s not the same thing as forgetting who He is. I don’t need what He has done; I need who He is – who He still is.

He was faithful then, He is faithful now, and He will continue to be faithful.

He provided then, He is providing now, and He will continue to provide.

You fill in the blank.

It’s tempting to keep pointing back to what God did, but at some point, I have to recognize that He didn’t just do a miracle. He is the Miracle Worker.

Growing up, I never stopped asking my mom what was for dinner or expecting it to be on the table at night just because she gave me breakfast. Even now, as I type, she is texting me about what foods she should have on hand when I go to their house next week.

My mom is not someone who has just given me food. I know her as someone who feeds me.

I think that’s what God is saying in Isaiah 43.

Forget what He’s done. Remember who He is – who He has always been, who He still is, and who He will continue to be.

The power of God is in you, even on a Thursday.