TIRED, BUT WORTH RENEWAL

Psalm 51:7-127
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

As the months dragged on and we continued to scrape and paint and clean and rip out and replace everything in sight in our new house, my daughter finally said in a bit of exasperation, "Tell me again why you wanted this house."

After living in the same house for 27 years, we decided to move. Butthe house we purchased was, as I like to say, tired. It had 22 years of wear and tear, and it needed to be refreshed. Faucets were worn out. Carpet needed to be replaced. Walls needed a new covering. Out-of-date lights and other fixtures needed to be sent into retirement. It was simply tired.

So we spent countless hours urging it back to its original condition--or even better. As tired as it may have been, we knew that its location, its features, and its layout would make it aspecial place to live once we had finished the makeover. And now that we have completed the task, it has emerged fresh and livable.

Spiritually, we can grow a bit like our new family home. We can grow tired. We can have layers of old stuff coating our lives and needing a good scrape job. Perhaps we're still trying to live with spiritual commitments we made in 1996 and haven't renewed since. Maybe we've been trying to get by on a relationship with God that we really haven't nurtured or enhanced in a long time.

The foundation for a strong relationship with God is there and the building stands solidly on Jesus, but neglect has let things grow alittle tired. If that's the case, seek renewal. Begin remodeling what you have, restoring the former shine to your life of faith.

Your Christian life may be a bit tired, but restoring it to freshness and newness is worth the effort and the cost. Dust off your Bible. Refurbish your prayer life. Ask God to renew you (Psalm 51:7-12). Get reacquainted with the Father. Make your Christian life look as fresh and vibrant as the day you first trusted Jesus. --Dave Branon

DESTINATION POINTS

* What about my Christian life is most like a tired, begging-for-redecorating house? How can I best restore that portion of it?
* When was the last time I had a good heart-to-heart talk with God? Do I need to reintroduce myself to Him again?

LINKS:
The Way Back
http://www.discoveryseries.org/rd901

bottom line: Fall in love with Jesus all over again.

soul journey