I’ve always appreciated God’s knack for turning situations around and making what seems silly to most turn out to be miraculous displays of His glory and sovereignty. Noah and the Ark. Moses and Aaron. Pharaoh and the plagues. Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal. Jesus’ birth through a virgin. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. The Day of Pentecost. Paul’s conversion to Christ. I could go on and on. I know you could too.
Now what I want you to think about is God’s knack for turning situations around… in YOUR life!
“Rebirth & Renewal” is a great focus and topic during this time of the year. As a teacher, I am a fan of words, and their meanings and these words are especially delightful. The prefix “re” means “again.” Therefore, whatever the “re” is attached to, it means that the meaning of the root word is repeated. Let me explain.
REBIRTH = to be born again; a new or second birth; an improved existence, activity, or growth.
RENEWAL = to be new again; to make new again; the state of being renewed.
I believe that in this season, God is making many things in our lives “new again.” However, we must first endure the process. I believe that process begins with a rebirth. For some of us, that means to literally be born again (accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior). For others of us, that means coming back to our First Love, the Lover of our Soul. That includes leaving behind all the people, propositions, preoccupations, and premonitions that caused us to leave Him behind in the first place. (Whatever you compromise to keep, you’ll lose anyway.) And for still others of us, God is still waiting for us to accept a “new birth” that He’s already given or shown us: a ministry He’s revealed, a job He wants us to leave or to accept, a study of the Word He wants us to complete, an educational degree He desires for us to pursue. With this rebirth, He is trying to improve us, our existence, and help us to grow.
After the rebirth comes the renewal. Once we have gotten our relationship with Him established, secured, and on point, He can then begin to renew things in our lives, in our situations, and in our ministries. (He loves doing that sort of thing, remember?) That dream that seemed silly to you, God wants to make it new again IN you. That idea that everyone said wouldn’t work, God wants to revive it. The ministry you said you weren’t “qualified” for, the Father wants to show you how much more important the anointing is than qualifications. God desires to make an open show of your issues and circumstances, the naysayers and the ignorant others in your life. He wants to renew you and all that concerns you!
David asked God to “create in [me] a clean heart, O God, and RENEW a right spirit within [me]” (Psalm 51:10, emphasis added). This is a clear picture of the process, a new heart (rebirth) leading to a renewed spirit. This has got to be our desire, or we will remain in a place of wilderness and stagnation. Renewal happens when we allow God to complete His work within us, through the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). When we do that, we give God room to “show up and show out!” He can turn our every situation around because we have allowed Him to turn US around.
Ask Him to reveal to you your heart, especially those areas that need a touch from Him. Do what He says so that you can be reborn anew, and then watch Him renew you and all that concerns you.
