Humanity faced disaster in 2020. A disaster is any event that has unfortunate consequences—a sudden accident or natural catastrophe that causes great damage, even loss of life. COVID-19 ticked all of these boxes as it raced across the globe at an unimaginable pace.
Abruptly, bustling streets, usually swamped with people became deserted museums, hospitals became war zones and our homes became prisons. Life was changed forever by this invisible disease.
Only now, as we begin to slowly emerge from our home-based bunkers, can we survey the impact. In the wake of disaster comes unexpected occurrences. Often there is a birthing, a significant change that takes place, and we find ourselves in new seasons, navigating new ways.
For the past few years, prophetic voices have constantly pronounced Isaiah 43:19 (KJV) as the catch cry for this decade. The Scripture reads:
“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
This Scripture rose as a clarion call of the new era, with hindsight we can truly see it was more than that. Unaware of what was about to descend on us, God in His kindness gave us an anchor of hope to cling too.
It promises that God will always create a new thing, even in the most difficult of circumstances. This truth is as real for us today as it was for the Israelites when Isaiah declared it over them around 700 B.C. Although disaster was at their door, God continued to create a way forward; He held their destiny firmly in His hand.
Life is full of adversity. The Bible teaches us, repeatedly, that the only way through these times is with God. There is no richer time to praise God than when we are at our lowest because this is when He takes our disasters and turns them into our destinies.
The Psalms—full of declarations that encouraged Israel to lift their voices and proclaim God as creator—are brimming with such moments. He is the one who always has and always will create something out of nothing.
What is even more profound is that in His grace He chose to create us in His image (Gen. 1:27) so that we can do likewise.
In Psalm 33:3 (NIV) the writer declares “Sing to Him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy.” In this simple verse is an invitation to create with God in three ways. He calls us to create by lifting our voice in a new song, to cultivate the gifts that He has given us until we are skilful and to celebrate with a shout as we breakthrough our barriers.
While we have faced a devastating season, we can be sure of this—God is not done, and neither are we. What we will find moving forward is a new song and new season that awaits.
When COVID-19 restricted human activities in the San Francisco Bay area, the white-crowned sparrows began to sing new notes that had not been heard before. Previously the traffic noise had interfered with their ability to sing effectively. When humanity was quieted, the birds were freed to sing their most effective and beautiful notes.
This is the wonder of our Creator God, that He can take a disaster and create a new song to be sung.
To hear more of this message, listen to my latest Abiding Matters podcast episode, Turning Disaster Into Destiny, on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}
Charissa Steffens is a writer and teacher with a passion for the prophetic and Scripture. Through her ministry Abiding Matters she loves to see people come closer to Father God. She hosts the podcast Abiding Matter with Charissa Steffens on Charisma Podcast Network and writes for various online Christian publications. She is the former editor-in-chief of Indulge Magazine. She holds a Bachelor of Business, post graduate diploma in education, and a Master of Arts in biblical studies. To contact Charissa or learn more visit Abiding Matters.
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