“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

Devotion based on Isaiah 43:18

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

On October 6, 1927, at the Warner Theater on Broadway, the movie industry changed forever. That night, the first talking movie—the first movie where people could actually speak—premiered. Before that, movies had no sound at all!

The movie was called The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson. At the beginning of the movie, Jolson turned to the camera and said, “Wait a minute, wait a minute! I tell ya—you ain’t heard nothing yet!”

And movies were never the same again.

Now, if we could travel back in time to 1927 with today’s technology, we could tell Al Jolson, “No, Al. You ain’t heard—or seen—nothing yet!”

Just think about how fast technology changes. Your parents or grandparents might remember a time before cell phones or tablets. Some might even remember life before computers! But now we have iPhones, smartwatches, and self-driving cars.

Can you imagine what’s coming next? We ain’t seen nothing yet.

In Isaiah 43, God told his people, the Israelites, that one day he would rescue them from their enemies, the Babylonians. He reminded them how, hundreds of years earlier, he had saved them from slavery in Egypt—how he parted the Red Sea and wiped-out Pharaoh’s army.

Then God said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18-19). In other words, “You think that was amazing? Just wait. You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

With his great power and love, God was going to save them again.

When life gets hard, don’t give up. Don’t panic. Don’t let worry take over. Instead, remember:

But then, don’t just think about the past. Don’t stay stuck there. Why? Because you ain’t seen nothing yet.

God is going to help you with the problems you face today. He is going to bless you in ways you can’t even imagine right now. And because Jesus came into the world to die for you, you get to live forever in heaven—where everything is always new, amazing, and better than you can dream!

You ain’t seen nothing yet.

Dear God, when life gets hard, help us remember how you have always helped your people before. Help us trust that you have good things ahead for us. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above