WATCHWORD:
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
4-5 Every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world’s ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:4-5
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me. Psalms 51:10
Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again!
Give us back the joys we once had! Lamentations 5:21
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[a] being renewed every day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
Meditation:
Never Give Up
Renewal. This new normal that we have experienced over these past many months, took some getting used to, and maybe we aren’t completely adjusted to it yet. We can get weary of the absence of social interaction, the boredom of isolation, the whole act of wearing a mask, that seems so foreign to us, and yet so necessary now. All this makes us look longingly at the “joys we once had”.
Somehow, we tend to want to just push ahead on our own limited strength, and only when our reserves are exhausted will we trust God. Often it is the crisis in our lives that brings us to that door where Jesus stands, waiting. God brings renewal into our lives by satisfying longing with good things, such as forgiveness and redemption, along with joy and humor.
Believers in Jesus are being renewed daily by the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, as reflected in the writings of Paul to the Romans and to the Corinthians. Believers, those who have committed themselves to Christ as Lord and Savior, have the Spirit of Christ within them, and are being renewed as we bring our weariness, boredom and loneliness, and lay them at his feet in prayer. Renewal.
How would you describe being renewed? I would describe it somewhat the same way I would describe a refreshing night’s sleep and waking ready to face the day, not a worry in the world. I would describe it as leaving yesterday’s problems behind and not bringing tomorrow’s worry into today’s blessing.
Maybe that is a blessing of our isolation. When we rework our everyday lives to include more prayer, rest, communication with loved one, hobbies, we begin to feel healthy and better organized, and fit to tackle another day, hopefully with joy.
How would you describe that feeling to someone who does not have Christ in their life? You know that’s part of our story, our witness, our being Christ to the world. It’s like that man in the pit whose friend jumps in because he knows the way out. Here is our formula for life: Lord and Savior = Discipleship = Sharing. You know joy! Don’t keep it to yourself, pass it on! Joy is always for sharing. Amen
Stan
Bulletin Board:
My teachers told me I’d never amount to much because I procrastinate so much. I told them, “Just you wait!”
Did you hear about the cheese factory that exploded in France? There was nothing left but de Brie.
Morning Prayer:
Lord, we ask today for more of Your Holy Spirit in our lives. Lord, it can be easy for us to become consumed with the anxiety and the sameness that surround us in life, but we know that just as Your eye is indeed on the sparrow, so also do You care for and see us. Teach us today to become more reliant on You. Bring us into a greater discernment of how You operate, so that we may come into a deeper understanding that all we see with natural eyes is not all that is. Today we ask for eyes to see Your hand in all matters, and hearts open to Your work. And, Lord, we know the joy that lies within each one of us. Help us to sense that, celebrate that, and to pass it on to others who may not know You and the gifts that await Your presence in their lives. With gratitude, we offer this prayer in the Name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
