MOVING FORWARD â—½ ENCOURAGEMENT
Renewal
by Pam Charro
You know, sometimes I just really need some NEW. I mean, I have walked with God through enough to know that when it feels like the end of the world, it isn't. And when I get discouraged, it usually doesn't last too long. I know this body is going to wear out, and I accept that I'm going to be achy or tired sometimes. Like all of us, I have new struggles constantly coming at me, and I handle all of it pretty well. However…
some renewal would be so appreciated right about now
That's why I’m so thankful that God's Word talks about renewal a lot. He knows we need it! And he is always up to something to bring newness to me when I need it most.
David says in the psalms that he is confident that he will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I interpret that to mean that I don't have to wait until the next life. I know heaven is going to be glorious, but God is good now and is going to show it! He loves to be good and is perfectly capable of doing good right here on planet earth.
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Another favorite scripture is in Isaiah 43, where God encourages his people to look for the new good he is already working on.
photo courtesy of Doug Gephardt
It is his character to bring new good to our lives, and our job is to get to know and appreciate his character. That is where our times of refreshing will come from - believing that he is who he says he is, and rejoicing in it.
And, of course, in Revelation, the Bible talks about making all things new. That is who he is, no matter what is going on, the God of all things new.
I have to live in a temporary and broken world for now, a world of decay, disappointment, and fatigue. But my God is a God of life, and he is breathing freshness into my next steps even as I prepare to face this new day. I don't have to know what that looks like in order to be excited about it. I am just glad to know it is true and I look forward to the new good he is bringing.