September 11, 2019 FACING REALITY
2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
Isaiah 40:31 “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 faint.”
There is freedom in admitting and confessing the truth; we become delusional when we deny reality. We are well aware of the aging process that cannot be reversed no matter how hard we may try. (Certainly, we should take steps to be in good physical condition for our age, etc.) Mega bucks and energy are spent with the goal of slowing the aging process or at least hiding the effects of aging. The good news is that God gives us insight and gives us hope in this matter of aging. One truth that those who are younger must understand is that the life they live now impacts their lives in the future-in other words, living as unto the Lord today will bear fruit in future years. In 2 Corinthians, Paul is reminding us that yes, our physical bodies are perishing, but we have an ‘inward man’ that is not subject to the aging process; no matter our age, our inner man-our spirit, can be renewed daily; for that reason, we do not lose hope. How sad it is that those who do know God as Savior; have no source of hope, they only have an outward man that is perishing. Isaiah 40:31 is a fantastic verse; we can renew our strength-we can soar as eagles-we will not grow weary and we will not faint! Do you believe that? Hope in the Lord is not just theory-it’s real. Hope comes when we believe and accept as true all that God has done and what He will do. God has brought salvation to us; He has forgiven all of our sins; He has given us a new spirit, a new mind, and a new heart; He has adopted us into His family; He has made us complete; He has invited us to work with Him in His purposes; and He has plans and a future for each of us who know Him. If hope in God is not a reality for us, or if our hope is shallow, it is because we have lost sight of who God is and who He says we are. The biggest distraction, and the cause of losing hope is the tendency for us to live according to self-what we think and what we want. Let us know that we have a part to play in experiencing the hope that is available to us; we must choose to be renewed-to walk according to the Spirit-to think on, and do the things that please Him-to study His word-to seek Him first-to put on the new self-and to keep His word. All of these things are not done to earn His approval, but are things we do because we have been made new-and it is our nature to do these things. When we learn of our new identity, our hope will be steadfast and sure. Even though we experience the aches and pains of aging in the outward man, let us make sure that our spirit, or our inner man, is being renewed daily-and may we soar like the eagles.
Psalm 92:12-14 “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like the cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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