Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled Move Your Fence was written by Patricia Rabin.

The village vicar couldn't sleep.

As World War II raged, he told a small group of American soldiers they couldn't bury their fallen comrade inside the fence cemetery next to his church.

Only burials for church members were allowed.

So the men buried their beloved friend just outside the fence.

The next morning, however, the soldiers couldn't find the grave.

What happened? The grave is gone, one soldier told the Reverend. Oh, it's still there, he told him.

The soldier was confused, but the churchman explained, I regretted telling you no.

So last night, I got up, and I moved the fence.

God may give fresh perspective for our life challenges, too, if we look for it.

That was the prophet Isaiah's message to the downtrodden people of Israel.

Instead of looking back with longing at their Red Sea rescue,

they needed to shift their sight,

seeing God doing new miracles, blazing new paths.

Do not dwell on the past, he urged them in Isaiah chapter 43. See, I am doing a new thing.

He's our source of hope during doubts and battles. I provide water in the wilderness and streams in

the wasteland, providing drink to my people, my chosen people.

Refreshed with new vision, we too can see God's fresh direction in our lives.

May we look with new eyes to see his new paths.

Then with courage, may we step onto new ground, bravely following him.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Isaiah chapter 43 verses 18 through 21.

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