Re-store, Re-fresh- and Re-new

He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (Psalm 23:3) Let the warmth of his love wash over you and refresh you. Light is sown [like seed] for the righteous and illuminates their path, And [irrepressible] joy [is spread] for the upright in heart [who delight in His favor and protection].

Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones [those whose moral and spiritual integrity places them in right standing with God], And praise and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. (Psalm 97:11-12) Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am meek, gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST (renewal, blessed quiet) FOR YOUR SOULS. (Matthew 11:28-29)

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth

Does not become tired or grow weary;

There is no searching of His understanding.

He gives strength to the weary,

And to him who has no might He increases power.

But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired. (Isaiah 40:28-29,31) The LORD will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11) Re-store: By returning to be re-stored in the image of God, we can be established in Him, with purpose. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, restore and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. (1 Peter 5:10) Re-fresh: A spiritual renewal, rest and rejuvenation which offer hope, when we are weary. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

The generous man [is a source of blessing and] shall be prosperous and enriched, And he who waters will himself be watered [reaping the generosity he has sown]. (Proverbs 11:25) Re-new: A transformative process that rejuvenates our spiritual lives.

He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5) God encourages His people to engage in His renewal process, His transformative power and grace; drawing closer to Him, shedding old ways and adopting a renewed mindset in alignment with His will.

Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death. Do not be misled, my beloved brothers and sisters. It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself--sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes].

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us]. So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. (James 1:15-16,18-22) But you did not learn Christ in this way! If in fact you have [really] heard Him and have been taught by Him, just as truth is in Jesus [revealed in His life and personified in Him], that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]. Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are all parts of one another [and we are all parts of the body of Christ]. BE ANGRY [at sin--at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], YET DO NOT SIN; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].

(Ephesians 4:20-27)