RENEW

How is this time renewing us?

“but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

– Isaiah 40:31.

This time for many can be stressful, confusing, and hard. But it is allowing us to renew our faith, our families, our homes and even ourselves. The word renew means to restore freshness. We are restoring freshness into our lives while the world is at a standstill. Renewal in the bible may also mean rest, in some verses, but in Isaiah 40:31 it means (quoted from ESV study Bible) to “find an endless supply of fresh strength.”

“but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength…” God is telling us to lean on Him during this crisis because He will renew us. But we must be weary because sometimes we get into trouble attempting to develop our own sense of strength/renewal instead of having faith in the Lord and leaning on His word. Not only is this a time for self-renewal, but it is also a time for the Lord to renew His creation. We as humans can get easily caught up in our lives, jobs, and schooling, but during this worldwide pandemic it has allowed us to stop and renew ourselves through Christ before the world comes alive again.

The writer of Isaiah tells us:

"but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faith." – Isaiah 40:31.

Here is an analogy that looks at renewal of the mind and refinishing furniture. This is Charles Stanley’s perspective on renewing ourselves:

"Renewing the mind is a little like refinishing furniture. It is a two-stage process. It involves taking off the old and replacing it with the new. The old is the lies you have learned to tell or were taught by those around you; it is the attitudes and ideas that have become a part of your thinking but do not reflect reality. The new is the truth. To renew your mind is to involve yourself in the process of allowing God to bring to the surface the lies you have mistakenly accepted and replace them with truth. To the degree that you do this, your behavior will be transformed.”

In this time of darkness allow Him to renew you and shine His light to others. My question is to you: how are you renewing? While the world is on pause, restore yourselves by having faith in Him and trust that He has a plan for all of us.

- Lauren Frederick, Junior, Women’s Basketball (Guard), New Wilmington, Pa

May 10, 2020

Image bySven Lachmann from Pixabay