Tuesday, January 28, 2025 Renewed Every Morning
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Renewed Every Morning
So we do not lose heart.
Though our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.
2 Corinthians 4:16, ESV
Two minutes into my morning aerobics workout, I realized something astonishing— the daily pain that had nagged my hip for months was gone. With every side-step and forward lunge I kept anticipating the sharp, radiating discomfort, a bone-on-bone reminder of what the x-ray had laid bare. Yet, at least for today, step after step, the pain remained gone.
I moved with a sense of renewal and strength. I praised God for this pain-free moment that my efforts through exercise, diet, supplements, and countless prayers had not fully accomplished. Then the Holy Spirit whispered the profound truth, “I’m reminding you that I can heal you … whenever it serves My purposes.”
It was a humbling reminder of God’s sovereignty and love. His words echoed the truth of Lamentations 3:24: “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him” (NIV).
I smiled and praised the God who knows me completely—the One who sees me and my struggles, meets my needs, and works all things into His redemptive story and for His glory. The One on whom I depend each day; the One who renews, shapes, and refines me into the likeness of His Son in the past, present, and future. Even the pain, when present, is part of His loving hand at work in my life, equipping and shaping me.
God’s mercies are new every morning, not just at the turn of a new year. Yesterday’s failures don’t define us. Today is our fresh start, our renewed opportunity to trust Him, grow in His grace, and walk forward in faith.
Reflect: What area of your life do you need to surrender to God’s timing and purposes, trusting Him as your portion and source of renewal?
Pray: Father, thank You for being my portion and my strength. Teach me to trust in Your perfect timing and purposes, even when I don’t understand. Renew my heart each morning and shape me into the likeness of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me to embrace each day as a fresh start in Your grace. Amen.
By His Grace,
Gloria Ashby
Lay Leader