READ: 2 Corinthians 4:16 NLT
'That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.'
Have you ever been tempted to give up? Paul talks about this twice in this chapter and concludes that he would never give up. His ministry had certainly been very demanding and there must have been many occasions when it would have been extremely tempting to give up. We don’t know about every challenge that he faced but to have been, as he described it himself, hard pressed on every side, perplexed, hunted down and in constant danger of death must have been incredibly tough. But Paul was clear that he was not going to throw in the towel and here he gives a firm reason and that was that every single day he was being renewed.
Our bodies can’t keep going for ever and indeed from the age of about 25 all of us are in a state of physical and mental decline. From the age of about 18 to 25 the number of newly formed cells balances the dying ones. But after 25 the number of newly formed cells is smaller than the number that are dying. That’s the ageing process and there’s no way of avoiding it. I’m sorry if that wasn’t the word of encouragement that you were looking for, but stand back! The wonderful encouragement is that even though we are all inevitably getting older God is at work and he is renewing us each day.
God is our creator and by his Spirit he continues to work creatively in our lives. I used to think that God’s creative work concluded long, long ago when he created the world. But that’s not the case. God is a creative God and by his Spirit he is continually renewing our lives giving us new hope, new joy, new possibilities, new relationships and new work to do. That means that we should look to the future with great hope and anticipation. Whatever your age God has a purpose for your life and as you trust yourself to him you will be led in many exciting new adventures.




QUESTION: How do you see God renewing your life at present?
PRAYER: Creator God thank you for the miracle of life. I praise you that, whatever my age, your Holy Spirit is at work in me renewing me day by day. Amen.

Released on 3 Feb 2021