Gods story in your renewal

Lindsey felt broken and did everything she could to, in her words, “fix herself.” Whatever she tried fell short, leaving her feeling more hopeless. Then one day, lying on her bathroom floor, she cried out to God as loudly as she could. She felt him telling her to “Get up,” and that was when she surrendered herself to God. It was a defining moment in her life.

As a result of Israel’s and Judah’s rebellion, God delivered six “woes.” We also see Jesus delivering woes in the New Testament (e.g., Matt. 23:13-39; Luke 11:37-54). So, let’s first understand the purpose of a woe.

Everything crumbles. Your world falls apart. Stability and security vanish. Can you imagine that experience? Sometimes, circumstances beyond our control shake our worlds. Other times, we bring it upon ourselves when we rebel against God and allow pride to replace humility. Yet, even in self-inflicted chaos, hope remains. God is always guiding us toward renewal.

After challenging Judah’s hypocrisy in chapter 1, the focus in chapter 2 shifts to “the day of the Lord.” A future time will come when the nation of Israel will influence the entire world. Isaiah describes what he saw on that imminent day.

Spiritual renewal begins by addressing the sin in our lives. There is no way around it. We cannot raise one hand in worship while holding tightly to sin with the other. To truly experience God in a fresh way, we must confront the things that drive us away from him. That’s where the book of Isaiah begins.

I could use a spiritual renewal. There, I said it. Sometimes, I feel a bit stale and stuck. Spiritual matters can become dull, and temptations begin to look more and more attractive. Reading the Bible turns into something I check off my list for the day, and talking to God, well… let’s say it’s not where it needs to be. I took one of those DNA tests and learned that perfection does not run in my family. I was shocked. Lori wasn’t. She’s been telling me that for years. I need to be spiritually refreshed. How about you?