Sunday: R. E. N. E. W.

R- Restore, Rest, Return, and Rejoice
E- Eternal and Expression
N- New and Nature
E- Exhort, Esteem, and Energize
W- Work, Word, and Worship

In church today we read aloud, Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." I want to put the emphasis on renewing. Renewal is something that we need everyday, and we are weak without the spiritual renewal. Even in the physical realm renewal applies. 

I thought of a few words that rang true to renewing one's self. Restore was one that came to mind when thinking about renewal. In Psalms 23:3, it says, "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." This speaks of spiritual renewal. We are restored by the Holy Spirit, and He is later referred to as the Comforter. Rest is something that everyone is trying get more of, but it seems that there is not enough hours in the day to be fully rested. In Psalms 16:9, it says, "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope." David is resting in the hope of what is to come. Rest takes time, and through that time we are renewed. "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." (Psalms 37:7) We know that resting in the Lord; we will see Him glorified in every situation. Paul echoed the thoughts of David in Acts 2:26, "Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope." Both David and Paul knew of the hope that had been promised. Rest restores our physical and spiritual strength. Returning is something that we need to do to stay renewed in the Spirit. Return to God's Word on a daily basis and by this be renewed.

Eternity is a concept that we know of, but we do not quite understand it. It is very important to our future, because our future is determined by the choice we make. It is a matter of life or death. Expressing the need for salvation is important, and keeping it to ourselves does not help those around us.

New life is what we have 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 Corinthians 5:17) Nature is both physical and spiritual, and both are constantly fighting each other. We have die to self and the flesh, so that our new nature can triumph over sin. 

Exhortation is important to our spiritual walk, because there are times that we are walking through spiritual darkness, and we need to ask God for guidance on a path that seems uncertain to us in the flesh. A good exhortation is in Psalms 119:105, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." In our flesh, we would walk blindly, but in Christ we walk with the pathway lit before us. It is also important to exhort others in their spiritual walk. In Proverbs 27:17, it says, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Esteem is one of those things that is misinterpreted by many. According to Paul, he says in Philippians 2:3, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." Pride is something that we all struggle with, and it is not easily bridled. The need for energizing is something needed to get through the toughest of situations. When we have nothing else left within us; the Lord picks us up and brings us through those times. The Lord will give us what we need to accomplish the things that He has set before us.

Work is something that we do everyday, but it is not limited to the nine to five job. It continues on into the rest of our lives. The family is something that we have to work with in order to make it strong. Our marriage relationship is something that we have to work at, because there will be days that that can be the most difficult thing to do with all the stresses of life. God's Word is key to renewing the mind. Worship is something that renews our soul, and praises the God that has blessed us bountifully. This is a priority in our Christian walk and so is God's Word. Through these we renew ourselves. 

Let us work toward daily renewal in God's Word.