The Old That is Always New

"...thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." Isaiah 25:1b

Many times God does not teach us a new thing, but reiterates an old one under new circumstances so that we can see it in a new light. God gives us an understanding of a thing, and we set it down after a while, confident that we have learned what was needed. God, however, does not leave it alone. Expect the same truth applied to your experiences over and over again, and each time it will be an old thing made new: "Why, I never quite looked at it that way before!"

Take something God has revealed about yourself: perhaps (like St. Augustine) you suffer under the sin of trying to always vindicate yourself--you are more inclined to care that you are shown to be in the right than that God's Spirit is released in the moment. With this part of yourself revealed to your mind, you accept it as true and God begins to give you the strength to conquer it. Years later, however, God brings that old revelation back again and shows where else it is affecting you, viz., you were vindictive to people; now you are vindictive to circumstances. What you thought was used counsel turns into faithful counsel: it is old, but also timeless, forever true.

The same is with all of God's counsels. They have no warranty, no expiration date. They are good for all time. "My words shall not pass away," (Matthew 24:35) and never means never. God's counsels, old and new, are faithful and true. They are new every morning.