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I'm sure the writer was thinking of Pharaoh's chariots, which drowned in the sea to save God's people as they fled Egypt. God could also be speaking to those today who come back from the wars with scars like PTSD. He is telling them to forget former things and not to dwell on the past. It is not easy to do. We have all had experiences that have hurt us deeply and will not go away -- the death of loved one or the loss of property, as with the survivors of Sandy. It is not easy and may not be possible without God's help. In this passage God is telling us that he is doing a new thing. He asks us, "Don't you see it?" He is making a way in the desert of our souls that may feel empty and deserted. He is putting streams in our emptiness so we can refresh ourselves with the delicious water of his word and Spirit. Then he tells us one of the reasons he has done this for us is so that we may proclaim his praise. In everything God does for us, there is always that caveat! Tell others what he has done for us. That is the best way to say thanks to him. If you can't be a missionary, you can at least support those who can. We can all be missionaries to our own community!
