Rejoicing In The Word For Ladies – A New Year’s Devotional Collection (Part 1)

Day 1:

The word renewal can be simply defined “to make like new.” Another definition given suggests the act of renewing involves “filling again by supplying what has been used up.” When we come to the end of the crazy, Christmas-filled month of December, we need a refresh! The house needs cleaned, the schedule needs a break, and the spirit needs a lift to carry through the winter months. What an excellent opportunity to consider the topic of renewal from a Biblical perspective. One Bible word associated with renewal is regeneration. A Biblical understanding of renewal begins with the new creature in Christ. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” 2 Cor. 5:17. We are reminded in Titus 3:5 that salvation comes “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Praise the Lord! Only by His grace are we made new- new creations in Christ and newly supplied with His mercies each day!

Day 2:

One of the encouragements God gives His saints is a new song! Music is a blessing from God to refresh and renew a weary spirit. “And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord” Psalm 40:3. Psalm 98 challenges us to sing unto the Lord a new song….for He hath done marvelous things; He hath shewn His righteousness; He hath remembered His mercy and His truth; He has revealed His salvation to all the ends of the earth! Psalm 149:5 is an interesting verse: “Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.” If you chase the phrase “upon their beds” through the Bible, you’ll find people who howl upon their beds, recline upon beds of ivory, or devise iniquity upon their beds. But the saint of God sings aloud upon her bed! This new song is a song of renewal! There is a familiar gospel chorus running through my mind today:

I Sing A New Song

I sing a new song since Jesus came. (I) serve a new Master, wear a new name. Walk a new road, have a new goal, know a new peace, down deep in my soul. -Beatrice Bush Bixler

Day 3:

In Psalm 51:10, David prays, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” God’s forgiveness of our sins is a moment-by-moment renewal that takes place in our relationship with Christ. A healthy spirit (attitude/mind/emotions) is maintained by fellowship with Christ and cleansing of the Word. The application of truth to our inward parts (Ps. 51:6) helps to encourage that right spirit and right thinking within. In this Psalm, David cries out to God from a heart of repentance after he is rebuked by Nathan the prophet for his sin with Bathsheba. The broken king desires a righteous, gracious, and holy spirit in contrast to the evil spirit that had often gripped Israel’s previous king, Saul. Perhaps David fears the spiral of destruction he witnessed in Saul’s kingdom and person, and he recognizes his need for an inner spiritual renewal that will stabilize every part of his life. I am reminded of the commands given in Proverbs 3, where we read:

*My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.

*Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.

*Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

*In all thy ways acknowledge Him.

*Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

And what is the result of this immersion and obedience to truth?

“It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” This sounds like a wise description of a right spirit and a renewed inner self!

Day 4:

Renewal comes from within. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” 2 Cor. 4:16. We are renewed each time we submit to the revealed Word of Truth. The agent of change is the Holy Spirit. He is our Helper and Defender in the renewing of our minds! “And (ye) have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him” Col. 3:10.

Day 5:

As Christians, we often look at renewal in the context of Christlikeness. Here is an interesting element to consider in our desire to be conformed to the image of Christ. “The troubled surface of a lake will not reflect an object.” We would do well to practice an attitude of humble waiting, quiet attention, and a restful spirit as we serve God in our homes and in our ministries. Don’t try to do all. the. things. this year; ask God for wisdom and discipline to choose the better things. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” Matt. 6:33. When we are still enough to seek His face, we are better able to reflect His image to others. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted…” Psalm 46:10.

Day 6:

In Christ, we are new creatures. By His forgiveness, our sinful heart is cleansed and our spirit is renewed on a continual basis. This renewal begins within and is reflected outward as we humbly seek His face and likeness. Today, I want to share an essential quality that our God renews in us. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” Isaiah 40:31. Don’t we need that promise of strength?! Only a Divine strength could allow our earthy, plodding selves to soar like an eagle above the weight of our troubles. Although “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:the grass withereth, the flower fadeth…surely the people is grass,” we serve the Almighty God, “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance” Isaiah 40:6,7,&12.

Day 7:

One of the benefits of the New Year is the natural inclination to reflect upon the old and to make improvements for the future. This is healthy if we are spurred on to useful, achievable goals. If you feel stagnant spiritually, mentally, or physically, implement some “training” goals aimed at a next level of growth. Do you have a plan for reading God’s Word this month? This year? There are so many amazing ideas out there. You can read through the New Testament in one year by reading 5 minutes a day for 5 days a week. You can read through the Bible in 1, 2, or 3 years. You can read chronologically or a book at a time. Read for 5 days a week or 7 days a week. And these are just a few suggestions. Additionally, set your mind to memorize Scripture. Start a prayer list or journal. Work through a devotional study guide. Learn a new skill that will benefit your ministry to others. These things can help “to fill again by supplying what has been used up.” Remember, a goal without a plan is nothing more than a dream. (V.K.S.)