New Power!

Christian Devotional by Pastor Cecil Thompson

Isaiah 40:30-31

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Do you have purpose in your life? I certainly do! If for nothing else it is to put new batteries in watches, clocks and other such stuff that run on, AAA, AA, D, C or 9 volt types. Oops! How could I forget the dreaded watch batteries?!

Back in the day we did not have all of these different size batteries things ran on wind-up or plug-in. All the same, things always needed to have their power renewed on a regular basis to continue operating.

You know what is coming next don’t you… a spiritual application. I firmly believe that we should approach the most ordinary facets of our life in the same manner that we should approach Bible study: What does it say? What does it mean? How can I apply it to my life?

The first reality that comes to mind when I think of batteries going dead or springs winding down, is that there needs to be a constant renewing. Let me quote an explanation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics:

“The implications of the Second Law of Thermodynamics are considerable. The universe is constantly losing usable energy and never gaining. We logically conclude the universe is not eternal. The universe had a finite beginning — the moment at which it was at “zero entropy” (its most ordered possible state). Like a wind-up clock, the universe is winding down, as if at one point it was fully wound up and has been winding down ever since. The question is who wound up the clock?”

What is true in the scientific world is also true in the spiritual world. Without a consistent renewal our of spiritual fervor we will begin to lose our power. What does that mean? It means that we will become shells of what we were meant to be.

God had intended for Israel to be a kingdom of priests to the whole world. The people were delivered from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. They saw miracle after miracle, but soon allowed their fervency for the Lord to wane.

God sent His prophets to recharge the nation’s batteries, but their hearts became dead to His call and they finally refused to acknowledge Him. Instead of proclaiming God to the nations of the world, they needed to be revived themselves.

I have worked with many Christians who started their walk with the Lord full of vim and vigor. They had the potential to be mighty servants of the Most High God, but lost their original power.

Jesus describes these Christians in Revelation 2:3-5; “You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

The Lord gives us the secret of being re-energized. “Repent and do the things you did at first.” We may think that there is nothing for us to repent of, but if we place anything between ourselves and the Lord, it will sap our spiritual strength and leave us dead and worthless. I pray that we may be renewed!

Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!

— Pastor Cecil