Daily Renewal

Be quiet; and listen, Isra’el! Today you have become the people of Adonai your God (Deuteronomy 27:9)

Each day the sun rises, each evening the sun sets.  Does this mean each day is the same?  Clearly, each day is new, bringing with it fresh insights, as fresh dew coats the grass and flowers.  Each day is new, bringing with it new challenges, complete with unique joys and sorrows.  Thus, it makes sense each day we become the people of Yahweh, our God.

‘Renewal’ is an interesting word.  One of its meanings is the replacing or repair of something that is worn out, run-down, or broken. (online dictionary)  Spiritually, renewal has a slightly different meaning – revitalizing, recommitting our trust in our triune God. (paraphrased from Bible.org)  I find this understanding to be deeper than the words seem to suggest.

How do we revitalize our trust in Yahweh?  This requires more than just singing praise and worship songs and gathering together in revival tent meetings; revitalizing our trust requires ‘work’ (ah that awful word so many believers ‘hate’).  What is the work which revitalizing needs?

Before continuing, I’d like to make one thing perfectly clear – renewal and revitalizing can only be accomplished by Adonai Elohim Tziva’ot, the Lord God of Hosts.  We read this in Paul’s letter to Titus, chapter 3:3-6: “For at one time, we too were foolish and disobedient, deceived and enslaved by a variety of passions and pleasures. We spent our lives in evil and envy; people hated us, and we hated each other. ⁴ But when the kindness and love for mankind of God our Deliverer was revealed, ⁵ he delivered us. It was not on the ground of any righteous deeds we had done, but on the ground of his own mercy. He did it by means of the mikveh of rebirth and the renewal brought about by the Ruach HaKadosh, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Yeshua the Messiah, our Deliverer.”

So, then, what are they ways which may help prepare us for renewal?  First, we need to recommit ourselves each day to Yahweh.  Why is this?  A good chef knows he must use sharp knives, when cutting.  Allowing a knife to dull will impede his craft.  Re-sharpening his knives each day is similar to a believer recommitting herself to God.  How do we do this?  Reading His word, from the whole Torah, each day is important, for it helps us reconnect to His Word, His Truth.  Recommitting ourselves to our Sovereign Adonai requires us to again surrender ourselves to Him, allowing Him to be our Leader, our Guide, our Director.  If we do this on a daily basis, then when crises overwhelm us, we will be directed from focusing on each crisis and instead focus on Him, the Protector and Author of our faith.

Second, we will benefit from cleansing ourselves each night and each day.  In ancient days, and still practiced today by Orthodox Messianic Jews, the priests would ceremoniously cleanse themselves by walking into the mikveh, the basin of flowing water.  We, who are the priests of His Kingdom, (Revelation 1:6, 5:10) cleanse ourselves, not ceremoniously but, spiritually through confession.  Yes, I know – we have been forgiven of our sins through the shed blood of our Messiah, Adonai Yeshua, the Lord Jesus; however, we still sin and there is still a need for us to confess our sins and to accept their consequences.  Each night, we ask Adonai Elohim, the Lord God, to examine us and bring to our minds and hearts those sins we have committed; then, in the morning, we begin our day by confessing those sins and receiving His renewal of Grace.  Beloved, we are now set to enter into His new day.

Consider:  Are you floating along through your spiritual life, assuming

                    there is no need for renewal, let alone daily renewal, because

                    He has cleansed you once and for all?

Action:  Ask the Holy Spirit of the Living God to guide you through the

               renewal process, easing your way further into your trust of

               Him.

Prayer:  Abba B’Shamayim, Father in Heaven, I thank You for making

               me Your child and a priest to serve You, in whatever way You

               would have me serve.  I ask You, through your Holy Spirit, to

               lead and guide me through a daily renewal of my Trust in You.

              In Your Beloved Name, I pray.