2 Corinthians 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
There is a process going on in us believers. Since the day the Holy Spirit came to dwell in us He has been at work with perfect wisdom and supernatural power to renew and transform our character, to some extent, our personality, and even our physical body. Our outward man, this mortal body with its natural weakness and sinful ways was doomed to death and is “wasting away” even now. Yet a new life dwells within this clay jar, and that life is constantly at work having a profound effect on the body which contains it. The Holy Spirit is working renewal, the manifestation of God in and with us.
Real estate developers do something similar. They buy a piece of property that is terribly run down, seemingly useless, without much value to the naked eye…and reform it completely, from the inside out. With great skill and vision, they know what to keep, what to get rid of, what part of the property needs renovation, refurbishing, or complete rebuilding. So it is with God and us. He knows everything that comprises our life from the moment of conception; our gifts, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, wounds, and all the characteristics of our personalities. And He wants to completely renovate us according to the vision He has for our lives, which is much greater than we can imagine. He has purchased the “property” of our lives, with His blood, and His Holy Spirit is powerfully and skillfully at work developing the Lord’s “real estate”!
Your life is in good hands. Your Developer knows exactly what He’s doing with you. You might be a little tired or discouraged, run-down, or even wrecked in some places, but soon, you will sense, once again that He is building, renovating, and renewing you in the best possible way…for eternity.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Unless you’re up on your biology, you’re probably wondering, “What in the world is a coney?” I certainly was. After doing a little research, I discovered that a coney is a rock badger.
I ran across a profound story that shows what happens when the family structure breaks down — but this didn’t have to do with people — it had to do with elephants.
As some of you may know, a bomb exploded in a bus within blocks of our Jerusalem apartment when we first moved to Israel. That morning, my wife and I, along with our newborn baby, were heading to the city center to run a few errands when suddenly we heard the explosion. Within minutes, the sirens were screaming from every part of the city as officials quickly made their way to the scene. Later that month, the bus I was supposed to be on drove away as I watched it carry away the 50 or so people who would be critically injured and the 8 who would be dead seconds later, when that bus exploded before my very eyes. So, to put it mildly, we have seen firsthand how terrorism works and how it affects people.
Today marks Holocaust Memorial day here in Israel. At ten o’clock in the morning on this day, war sirens sound calling the entire Land to remembrance of the 6,000,000 Jews who died and many more who suffered under the Nazi regime during WW2. People in their homes and workplaces rise in silence; cars come to a halt, even on the highways; pedestrians stop where they are and pause… for one minute as the sirens wail, we remember.
We know a Christian woman who has struggled with her past for years. She rarely thinks or speaks of anything else. And as a result, her life has just spiraled downward, despite all our attempts to minister to her. It breaks our hearts to see.
Two hunters came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover. One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave. The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the hunter in the cave came rushing out, almost ran into the waiting bear, hesitated, and then dashed back in again. The same thing happened a second time. When he emerged for the third time, his companion in the tree frantically called out, “Woody, are you crazy? Stay in the cave till he leaves!” “Can’t,” panted Woody, “there’s another bear in there!”
As Yeshua (Jesus) was about to begin his ministry, many were listening intently to John the Baptist as He declared, “Behold the Lamb of God!” [John 1:36]. Some of those listening to John were intrigued with the man he was pointing to, and they followed Yeshua. So He turned and questioned them, “What do you seek?”