Devotion to God
"Those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired. And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]." Is. 40:31
Renewal has become an inherent part of our culture. How many of us have subscriptions that renew weekly, monthly or annually without us having to put forth any effort or thought? Gym memberships, Netflix accounts, Spotify, Costco, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, just to name a few.
Because we want to have uninterrupted access to these services, we set them to auto-renew. The necessary funds are automatically deducted from our bank account, and we never have to go a day without watching our favorite show, listening to our favorite song, or shopping with free shipping. When we do not renew our accounts, the access that we had is no longer available.
Renew simply means “to make new” or “start again”. Every month that I renew a subscription, I make my access for that month brand new.
This scripture in Isaiah teaches us how to renew or “make new” our strength and power. We don’t pay a fee each month to renew our relationship with God. Instead, we look to Him, stir up expectant hope, and wait upon Him. When we prioritize our relationship with the Holy Spirit, we can anticipate the second half of that scripture - we will run and not become weary, we will walk and not grow tired, and we will see obstacles removed from our path. God desires to be close to us and he offers us uninterrupted access to himself. Let’s put forth the same foresight in our relationship with Jesus as we do with our auto-renewals. Let’s decide to posture ourselves to wait on Him, spend time in daily devotion, and expect to hear His voice and experience His presence in a greater way.
By Pastor Jenn Guirand