Streams in the Wasteland

“Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.”
— Isaiah 43:19

Devotional:

Addiction leaves a wasteland behind — scorched relationships, dried-up purpose, and emotional deserts that seem uninhabitable. But God steps into the wreckage and speaks a promise: “I will do a new thing.” Not a patch. Not a clean-up job. A new thing.

He doesn't need perfect conditions to begin again. He creates beauty from devastation. Where you see a desert, He sees a place to pour out rivers of grace. Where you see wilderness, He sees a path that leads you home. This is the nature of God: He makes life out of death, hope out of despair, and movement in places where nothing’s grown for years.

If your past still echoes like a dry wind and you feel like nothing will ever grow from what you’ve been through — behold. Look again. God is already at work, preparing streams in your desert and inviting you to walk forward into the new.

“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.” — Isaiah 35:1

Coaching Questions to Answer & Journal:

(Isaiah 43:19 – “Behold, I will do a new thing...”)

1. What specific area of my life feels most like a “wasteland” right now — emotionally, spiritually, or relationally?

2. Why does it feel barren, and what have I been believing about it?

3. Have I been expecting God to fix the old… or to create something new?

4. What might it look like if I stopped clinging to the past and allowed Him to start fresh?

5. Where have I seen God already at work — making small “streams” or new beginnings — that I may have overlooked?

6. What habits, people, or thoughts are keeping me stuck in the wilderness?

7. What needs to be released to move forward into the new thing God is doing?

8. What would change if I actually believed that new life can grow from my pain?

9. What fruit could God bring out of this wilderness season?

10. How can I create space today — mentally, emotionally, spiritually — for God to bring “rivers in the desert”?

11. Who in my life needs to hear that God can bring life out of their wasteland too?

12. How can I share hope without preaching... just from sharing my story?

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for making a way in my wilderness. Even when I feel dry and empty, I trust that You are doing a new thing in me. Help me to see the streams You're sending and the new life You’re growing, even now. I receive it in faith. In Jesus Name, Amen.