I have some scriptures I pray during my morning devotion time and recently I got a different view of them. They started with Psalm 51:10-12 and took me through a lesson that, apparently, I needed to hear and maybe some of you do as well. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (v. 10). The word “renew” stood out to me. It made me think of a magazine subscription that’s about to run out. We like the magazine and want to keep it coming so we do what’s necessary to renew it. Do we need to renew the Holy Spirit in us? King David thought so. Then, verse 12 says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” and that made me think of something that is old and not as useful or something that has run out but someone restores it to usefulness or to a fresh supply. Does our joy sometimes get low or run out so that we need it restored? God can and wants to do both of these things.

Continuing on that morning with this lesson, I thought about a vessel. The Bible says we are vessels, some fancy, and others for daily use, (2 Corinthians 4:7). But what good is a vessel if it’s not filled with something? Is it helpful to just sit on a shelf and look good? No, the apostle Paul said, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” (Ephesians 5:18). But you know, if a vessel is being used, at some point it needs to be refilled. We can pour out the Spirit in us to serve others but sometimes our pot may get cracked and need to be restored or rebuilt. Then we can be refilled. Do you see where this less is going?

And finally, the lesson reminded me that sometimes we need to be recharged. If we’re doing the work of God, being a servant and working to do His will, we can get burnt out or have our Spiritual energy drained. That’s when we need to plug back into God’s word, talk to Him and maybe fast for a time to get charged up again. When our phone’s battery is low, we plug it into a source of power. When we’re feeling low in Spiritual energy, we need to plug into the ultimate source of power, God. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” I see this like an electrical circuit. God sends His Word, His power, to us as we plug into Him and, to complete the circuit, we speak that word back to Him in faith. Renew, restore, refill and recharge. Which ones do we need today?