“Let the people renew their strength!” (Isaiah 41:1)

Every living thing breaks down and needs to be continually renewed by God. “You send forth Your Spirit ... You renew the face of the earth” (Psalms 104:29). Even though trees stay in one place and don’t labor like man, they have to suck water and nutrients from the soil to live. The cedars of Lebanon which God planted only live because day by day they draw sustenance from the earth. 

 This is the case with man, except he must also be renewed spiritually. In addition to physical food and drink to sustain his body, man must eat and drink the Word of God to sustain his spirit. It’s absolutely necessary for the body to be repaired by regular meals. It’s absolutely necessary for the spirit to be renewed by The Word of God. 

 The man who ignores the means of grace grows weak, unable to resist temptation. Those who neglect the Word of God, secret prayer and the fellowship of the saints need to “examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). If you can live without the means of grace, your salvation is a dream; for if God saved you, you would need His grace as much as the trees need the nutrients of the soil. 

 Without constant renewal, we can’t stand up to the darts of Satan or the discipline of the Father, much less the temptations of the flesh. When the storm comes, the tree that has not sucked the nutrients of the soil will be ripped from it. The choice is yours. If you don’t grow stronger in the good times, you’ll perish in the bad. If you don’t use the talent God has given you, the one you have will be taken away. So draw near to God while you can. “Those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).