Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18-19

When we get stuck dwelling on the past, we prevent ourselves from seeing God’s new and active work in our lives. We become so consumed by what was—chasing feelings that no longer serve us, memories that have already passed us and people who’s purpose have already fulfilled us—that we block our eyes from seeing the work God is doing in this exact moment. Every single day is a fresh start, and God is working behind the scenes, beginning processes that are emerging right before your eyes. Yet if you dwell and focus on what was, you reduce your capacity to see what is and what will be.

God specializes in creating beauty and provision in impossible experiences. At any moment, His divine timing for your greatest prayers can be this exact present moment. However, we often miss God’s new work—the shifts in our state of being, the peace He surrounds us with, the opportunities He opens—because we’re so focused on old patterns. We’re thinking and obsessing over past experiences, dynamics or situations, that we become enslaved by them instead of feeling empowered by all the newness God is bringing us in the now.

God is also the Master of the unexpected—often the “new thing” is different than what we thought, planned for, or assumed, yet it is always better than what our human minds could have imagined. We must have faith to step into God’s new work, even when the old feels comfortable and familiar. Whether it’s career change, relationships, healing or spiritual growth—having this trust shifts us from feeling stuck to feeling hopeful and excited, knowing that at any moment, God can change the course of your life and you will be present enough to witness the miracle unfolding right before your eyes.