Veroni's Views

In my previous devotion I wrote about God being the God of renewal.  We saw He brings about renewal when we are born again.  He also brings about renewal in our circumstances.  And ultimately He will make everything new in the new heavens and new earth.

Today I want to focus on God’s ability to renew our strength.

Life can be draining.  Challenges of all kinds (physical, financial, practical etc.) sap our strength.  We are emotional creatures (thank God for that!), and sometimes our emotions also make us tired.  Broadly speaking, we all have two kinds of people in our lives:  From some we draw energy, others can drain our energy.  We also face spiritual challenges, because we are involved in a war with forces of evil.  Much of that war is in ourselves.  As Paul says, “the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not free to do whatever you want.” (Galatians 5.17)

Isaiah describes the exhaustion we may feel as follows:  ” Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.” (Isaiah 40.30, NLT)

Thank God for his renewing power!  “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 NLT)

In Psalm 103.1-5, David praises the Lord for, among other blessings, causing his youth to be renewed to be like that of an eagle.

As children of God, we have access to an inexhaustible source of strength.  Ephesians 1.19 and 20 speaks of God’s “incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”

It begins with the fact that the Lord lives in us.  Because of his indwelling in us, Jesus says “rivers of living water will flow from within” us.  We will have enough strength for ourselves, and to share!

What should we do to take advantage of this truly miraculous privilege?

Isaiah says “those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.” (Isaiah 40.31). The expression “trust in the Lord” does not signify a vague, passive attitude of “whatever will be will be.”  Rather,  it has the meaning of an active expectation that God will do something.  The word used in some more literal translations makes this clear:  “They that wait upon the Lord….” 

Waiting upon the Lord implies actively seeking Him through regularly studying his Word, and regular times of prayer.  Studying the Bible as in reading and contemplation.  Praying as in thanksgiving, worship, intercession and waiting to hear from God.  It also implies actively seeking to do his will in every way. 

Caleb is a wonderful example of God’s power working in a human being.  When he was eighty five years old, he was still as strong as when he was forty.  He insisted on being allowed to take the most difficult part of the land to conquer it for the Lord’s people.  The Bible ascribes Caleb’s sustained strength to the fact that he served God with his whole heart.  (Joshua 14)

If we follow God with our whole heart, we will also have our strength renewed by Him.

Let us pray:

Lord, we thank you for the sustaining power we find in our relationship with you.  Please help us to wait upon you, in active expectation that your will strengthen us to meet every challenge that comes our way, and to live for your glory.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.