Latest / Voices Of Life / Strength for the Journey: Walking in God’s Daily Renewal
Transcript
- 0:05Welcome to the Voices of Life podcast, a ministry
- 0:16of the Church for Life. We're honored to walk
- 0:20with you on this journey of faith, hope, and
- 0:24purpose. Each episode is created to inspire your
- 0:28spirit and strengthen your daily walk with God.
- 0:35Here is your host, Pastor David! This is Voices
- 0:52of Life, a ministry of the Church for Life, and
- 0:55I'm Pastor David. Wherever you are listening
- 0:57from today, at home, in your car, at work, or
- 1:01preparing for a new week, May the presence of
- 1:03the Lord meet you right where you are. Today
- 1:07is Sunday, May 31st, 2026, and I believe God
- 1:11has a word for you. A word of renewal. A word
- 1:15of strength. A word of hope. Our theme today
- 1:20is Strength for the Journey, Walking in God's
- 1:24Daily Renewal. Because God never asks you to
- 1:28walk into a new day with yesterday's strength.
- 1:31He gives fresh mercy for fresh battles. Let's
- 1:35begin with our theme scripture. Laminations 3,
- 1:40verses 22 through 23. His mercies are new every
- 1:47morning. Great is his faithfulness. Family, that
- 1:53means that you don't have to live today on yesterday's
- 1:57leftovers. God... has new mercy for you, new
- 2:02strength, new clarity, new peace. Some of you
- 2:07listening right now have been carrying weight
- 2:10that feels too heavy. You've been trying to push
- 2:14through on your own strength. But God is whispering
- 2:18to you today, let me renew you. Let's pray. Father,
- 2:25we open our hearts to you. Renew our minds. Renew
- 2:31and refresh our spirits. Restore our strengths.
- 2:36Speak to us today. In Jesus' name, amen. Today's
- 2:43broadcast will walk you through time of encouragement,
- 2:47scripture, reflection, and renewal. So settle
- 2:52in. Let the word of God wash over you. Let's
- 2:57begin with a moment of reflection. Thinking about
- 3:01the last seven days, the highs and the lows,
- 3:06the moments you felt strong and the moments you
- 3:11felt empty. Now breathe in and breathe out and
- 3:17let the Lord meet you in this moment. God is
- 3:22not disappointed in your weakness. He is drawn
- 3:25to it. Because his strength is made perfect in
- 3:30weakness. Today he wants to renew you. Let us
- 3:37take a moment of quiet before the Lord. Let your
- 3:44shoulders relax. Let your mind settle. Let your
- 3:48heart open. God is here. Remember, you are not
- 3:56walking alone. So let's move into our first scripture
- 4:04mediation. In Isaiah 40, verse 31, they that
- 4:10wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
- 4:16Renewal doesn't come from rushing. It comes from
- 4:20waiting, from pausing, from breathing, and from
- 4:23trusting. Let us reflect on that for a moment.
- 4:31Where do you need renewal today? Where do you
- 4:35feel empty? Where do you feel stretched? Bring
- 4:40that to God right now. God is not asking you
- 4:44to be strong. He's asking you to be willing.
- 4:49Let us pray again. Lord, renew our strength.
- 4:53Lift every burden. Quiet every storm. Speak peace
- 4:59to every heart. Family, we're just getting started.
- 5:09I think when we talk about The God who renews.
- 5:17We want to go and understand that God does not
- 5:20recycle strength. He renews it. In Isaiah 40
- 5:25verse 31. They shall mount up the wings as eagles.
- 5:33That means God lifts you above what tries to
- 5:36hold you down. Some of you have been walking,
- 5:41running, pushing, striving. And you're tired.
- 5:45But God says, I will renew you. Let's talk about
- 5:51the three ways God renews us. God renews your
- 5:58strength. Because strength is not just physical.
- 6:04It is emotional, spiritual, and mental. Combined
- 6:10together. God renews your strength when you feel
- 6:17drained, when you feel empty, when you feel like
- 6:20you can't take another step. God renews your
- 6:26mind. In Romans 12, verse 2, tells us that transformation
- 6:32begins in the mind. So your thoughts shape your
- 6:36direction. Renewal begins when you let God speak
- 6:42louder than your fears. God renews your purpose.
- 6:48Purpose. Remember we talked about purpose some
- 6:50weeks back. Sometimes we feel stuck because we're
- 6:54trying to live today with yesterday's assignment.
- 6:59But God is always moving his people forward.
- 7:03Doesn't mean that we don't reflect because we
- 7:06do have to reflect on the past. So, let's take
- 7:11a look at reflection. What is God renewing in
- 7:15you today? Is it strength? Is it clarity? Is
- 7:20it purpose? Or is it hope? Lord, renew our strength,
- 7:28renew our minds, and renew our purpose. There
- 7:36is a rhythm to renewal. Renewal is not an event.
- 7:41It is a rhythm. It's a daily walk, a daily surrender.
- 7:45God gives you enough strength for today, not
- 7:49tomorrow, not for next week, but today. You don't
- 7:55have to figure out the whole journey. Just take
- 8:00the very next step. Let's go a little deeper
- 8:08into God's presence in Psalm 23 verse 3. He restores
- 8:13my soul Restoration is personal God restores
- 8:19you your soul your peace your joy Close your
- 8:25eyes if you can breathe slowly Let the Lord restore
- 8:32you Restoration is about going back to who you
- 8:39were. It's about becoming who God is shaping
- 8:43you to be. Lord, restore every weary heart. Restore
- 8:52every broken place. Restore every discouraged
- 8:57spirit. Now, continuing with reflection. Think
- 9:04about the one area of your life where you need
- 9:08restoration. Bring it before God. Well, you might
- 9:16need encouragement. Well, here's some encouragement.
- 9:19Family, God sees you. He knows your struggle.
- 9:25And He is restoring you. Let's speak directly
- 9:33to your heart. You are stronger than you think.
- 9:38Not because of your strength, but because of
- 9:41His. Corinthians 4, verse 16. Through our outer
- 9:48self is wasting away. Our inner self is being
- 9:53renewed day by day. Nice to have a little rhyme
- 9:57every now and then. And in reflection. God is
- 10:02renewing you right now in ways you just can't
- 10:06see. Don't even feel it. But it becomes present
- 10:11when you need it. Lord, thank you for renewal,
- 10:18for strength. Give us the wisdom to use that
- 10:25strength for thy bidding and thy plan. So let's
- 10:35talk about the foundation of Scripture. In Isaiah
- 10:3943, verse 19, Behold, I am doing a new thing.
- 10:46Do you not perceive it? God is not recycling
- 10:51your past. He is creating something new in your
- 10:55present. God's strength arrives. in what we'll
- 11:05call seasons. The seasons, I guess they're seasons
- 11:10of running, seasons of walking, waiting, resting.
- 11:15These are different periods in our life, and
- 11:18they run differently. Some of you listening today
- 11:21are in season where God is saying, slow down.
- 11:24Let me renew you. Think about the season you're
- 11:29in right now. Is it a season of growth? a season
- 11:35of rebuilding, or maybe a season of letting go.
- 11:40You know, letting go is probably one of the tough
- 11:43ones. That goes with forgiving, too. But renewal
- 11:50requires release. You cannot receive new strength
- 11:54while holding on to old burdens. Renewal begins
- 11:58with release. Release of fear, guilt, pressure,
- 12:04even control. Lord, I release what I cannot carry.
- 12:13I release what I cannot fix. I release what I
- 12:16cannot change. Renew me. God is not asking you
- 12:24to be perfect. He is just asking you to be present.
- 12:29That means you're a participant. In Psalm 46,
- 12:35verse 10, be still and know that I am God. Stillness
- 12:42is not inactivity. Stillness is trust. Now take
- 12:49a deep breath. Let your shoulders relax. Let
- 12:52your mind settle. God is renewing you. You don't
- 12:59have to understand the whole season. Just trust
- 13:03the one who holds it. In Romans 12 verse 2 says,
- 13:15Be transformed by renewing of your mind. Well,
- 13:19transformation begins in the mind long before
- 13:22it shows up in your life. There are three voices
- 13:28that shape your thoughts. There's the voice of
- 13:33God, the voice of the enemy, and the voice of
- 13:39your own inner dialogue. Now God's voice brings
- 13:46peace, clarity, conviction, and direction. The
- 13:51voice of the enemy, the enemy's voice brings
- 13:54confusion, fear. accusation and discouragement.
- 13:59And then there's your own voice. Your inner voice
- 14:03often echoes your past experiences, good and
- 14:07bad. Which voice has been the loudest in your
- 14:12life this week? How God renews your mind is through
- 14:24his word, presence, his people, and his peace.
- 14:33In Philippians 4, verse 8, whatever is true,
- 14:39noble, right, pure, think on those things. Your
- 14:47mind becomes what you meditate on. You need to
- 14:53let go of the thoughts that drain you. Hold on
- 14:57to the thoughts that strengthen you. We have
- 15:02to remember, Lord, renew our minds, silence every
- 15:07lie, amplify your truth. You have to remember
- 15:11that's what the Lord is doing for us. You do
- 15:15not have to win every mental battle today. Just
- 15:20win the next one. In Ephesians 2, verse 10, we
- 15:31are his workmanship, created for good works.
- 15:37So with that in mind, you were created on purpose,
- 15:41with a purpose, for a purpose. Your purpose is
- 15:46in one season, may not be your purpose in the
- 15:49next. God shifts your assignment as he grows
- 15:53your character. What season of purpose are you
- 15:59in? Serving? Learning? Healing? Leading? Resting?
- 16:09Teaching? Purpose requires renewal. And that's
- 16:19part of learning. And you cannot fulfill a God
- 16:23-given purpose with... Self -generated strength.
- 16:29Trust in the Lord. And that's where Proverbs
- 16:343 verses 5 through 6 clearly says, Trust in the
- 16:38Lord with all your heart, and he will direct
- 16:42your paths. Lord, show me my assignment for this
- 16:47season. Give me clarity. Give me courage. Give
- 16:52me direction. You don't need to hold the whole
- 17:01map. You just need the next step. If he's pointing
- 17:04you in the right direction, take that step. You
- 17:06have to do that on faith. What is the next step
- 17:10God is asking you to take? Well, what is the
- 17:16next step that he's wanting you to take? Only
- 17:18you know that. Well, you and God. In Psalm 51,
- 17:26verse 10, it says, Create in me a clean heart,
- 17:30O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Lord,
- 17:35renew our hearts, renew our spirits, renew our
- 17:39strengths, and renew our hopes. Let the Lord
- 17:44search your heart. Let him speak to you. You
- 17:51are not who you were. You are who God is shaping
- 17:56to become. So as we go into the next part of
- 18:04our journey today, some of you are listening
- 18:10today and not at the beginning of something.
- 18:14And you're not at the end of something. You might
- 18:18be right in the middle. Well, that's where we
- 18:20are right now. And the middle is where faith
- 18:22is tested. The middle is where strength is stretched.
- 18:26The middle is where God does his deepest work.
- 18:31God is our refuge and our strength, a very present
- 18:35help in trouble. Not a distant help, not a delayed
- 18:41help, a present help. God met Moses in the middle
- 18:47of the desert. God met Jonah in the middle of
- 18:51the sea. God met Daniel in the middle of the
- 18:54lion's den. And God met Paul in the middle of
- 18:58a storm. And God will meet you in the middle
- 19:03of your journey. What middle place are you in
- 19:09right now? A middle of healing? A middle of waiting?
- 19:15A middle of rebuilding? A middle of uncertainty?
- 19:20Where are you right now? Strength doesn't grow
- 19:26at the starting line. Strength grows in the middle.
- 19:29When you keep going, even when you feel like
- 19:33stopping, you know, you feel that little pain,
- 19:36you feel that little resistance, but you push
- 19:38on. In Galatians 6, verse 9, let us not grow
- 19:44weary in doing good, for in season, We shall
- 19:49reap. Your due season is coming. But right now,
- 19:55God is strengthening you for the middle. Lord,
- 20:01meet us in the middle. Strengthen us in the middle.
- 20:04Speak to us in the middle. You are not stuck.
- 20:08You are not in anything we sometimes call a rut.
- 20:14You are being strengthened. In Matthew 11, verse
- 20:2328, it says, Jesus doesn't say, come to me when
- 20:35you're strong. He says, come to me when you're
- 20:38weary. And weariness is not failure. Weariness
- 20:44is not a sign that you're weak. Weariness is
- 20:47a sign that you have been carrying something
- 20:49way too long. what have you been carrying a burden
- 20:56of fear responsibility a memory a disappointment
- 21:00God heals the heart the same way a surgeon heals
- 21:07the body carefully intentionally layer by layer
- 21:15in Psalm 147 verse 3 says he heals the brokenhearted
- 21:24and binds up their wounds. God doesn't heal the
- 21:30surface. He heals the deep places. Lord, heal
- 21:37the places we don't talk about. Heal the wounds
- 21:40we've learned to hide. Heal the hurts we've carried
- 21:45for too long. let the Lord touch your heart let
- 21:52him speak peace let him restore you you are not
- 21:59too broken for God to heal you are not too wounded
- 22:04for God to restore even though I walk through
- 22:14the valley of the shadow of death I will fear
- 22:18no evil. Does that sound familiar? Psalm 23,
- 22:22verse 4. Even though I walk through the valley
- 22:25of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
- 22:33Notice the scripture says walk through. Not settle
- 22:38in, not camp, not die in. Walk through. Valleys
- 22:45are not permanent places. They are passages,
- 22:48transitions, bridges between where you were and
- 22:53where God is taking you. What valley are you
- 23:00walking through? A valley of grief? A valley
- 23:04of uncertainty? A valley of transition? Or a
- 23:10valley of waiting? You may feel alone, but you're
- 23:16not alone. God is not watching you from a distance.
- 23:20He is walking beside you. Deuteronomy 31, verse
- 23:276. The Lord, your God, goes with you. He will
- 23:34never leave you nor forsake you. Lord, walk with
- 23:41us through every valley. Give us courage. Give
- 23:45us peace. Give us strength. You're not walking
- 23:51toward defeat. You are walking toward victory.
- 24:00Joshua 1 verse 9 says, Be strong and courageous,
- 24:03for the Lord your God is with you wherever you
- 24:08go. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is
- 24:13the presence of God. Courage comes from presence,
- 24:18not personality. You don't have to be naturally
- 24:22bold to walk in courage. You just have to know
- 24:26who walks with you. What is God calling you to
- 24:32step into? What is God calling you to release?
- 24:35What is God calling you to trust Him with? Lord,
- 24:41give us courage for the road ahead. Courage to
- 24:46obey, courage to trust, and courage to follow.
- 24:54You are stronger than you feel. You are braver
- 24:57than you think because God is with you. So as
- 25:08we finish our... or get into our last segment
- 25:12for today, let's talk about some of you who have
- 25:17been walking through a very long season. A season
- 25:22feels unfinished or unresolved. But hear me today.
- 25:27God finishes what he starts. Philippians 1, verse
- 25:346. A good work in you will carry it on to completion.
- 25:45God doesn't abandon his work. He completes it.
- 25:50God is a finisher. God finished creation. God
- 25:57finished redemption. God finishes the work he
- 26:01begins in his people. You may feel unfinished.
- 26:09But God is still working. What has God started
- 26:13in your life? A healing? A calling? A restoration?
- 26:19Maybe a transformation? You know, the middle
- 26:25is not the end. Just because you're in the middle
- 26:29doesn't mean God is done. The middle is where
- 26:32God shapes you for the finish. Hebrews 12 verse
- 26:372 says Jesus, the author and finisher of our
- 26:42faith. He started your story, and he will finish
- 26:49it. Lord, complete the work you've begun in us.
- 26:54Strengthen us for the finish. Renew our hope.
- 26:59You're not at the end. You are on the way to
- 27:02completion. Hope doesn't deny reality. It declares
- 27:12God's promises over reality. Because hope is
- 27:18looking forward. What are you hoping for? What
- 27:23are you believing God for? What are you trusting
- 27:28Him with? Hope is not automatic. Hope is chosen.
- 27:34Hope has to be practiced. And hope has to be
- 27:39protected. Romans 15 verse 13 says, May the God
- 27:46of hope fill you with all joy and peace. God
- 27:52doesn't just give hope. He fills you with it.
- 27:58So we would say, Lord, fill us with hope. Fill
- 28:01us with joy. Fill us with peace. Fill us with...
- 28:06expectation. Your tomorrow is God's hands and
- 28:13his hands are faithful. Picture your tomorrow
- 28:18in God's care. Picture your future in his hands.
- 28:24Picture your steps guided by his wisdom. Corinthians
- 28:354 verse 16 says the inner self is being renewed
- 28:41day by day. So renewal is not a one -time event.
- 28:47It is a daily work of God. So we would say, Lord,
- 28:53renew our strength, renew our minds, renew our
- 28:56hearts, renew our courage, and renew our purpose.
- 29:04Let the Lord breathe fresh life into you. Let
- 29:08him restore what has been drained. Let him revive
- 29:11what has grown weary. Renewal does require surrender.
- 29:21You cannot be renewed while holding on to what
- 29:25God is asking you to release. In Psalm 55 verse
- 29:2922, Cast your burden on the Lord and he will
- 29:34sustain you. So surrender is not a weakness.
- 29:37Surrender is a strength. So we'll say, Lord,
- 29:44we surrender our fears. We surrender our worries.
- 29:48We surrender our burdens. Renew us completely.
- 29:54You are being renewed right now by the Spirit
- 29:58of God. Let us have our closing prayer for today.
- 30:20Father, as we come to the end of this time together,
- 30:24we pause to thank you for every moment of renewal
- 30:29you've poured into us today. Thank you for the
- 30:33strength you've restored the peace you've spoken,
- 30:37the hope you've awakened, and the courage you've
- 30:41stirred in our hearts. Lord, as we step into
- 30:45a new week, go before us in every conservation.
- 30:50Stand beside us in every challenge and remain
- 30:54within us in every quiet moment. Where we feel
- 31:00weak, be our strength. Where we feel uncertain,
- 31:02be our guide. Where we feel weary, be our rest.
- 31:06Renew our minds day by day. our purpose step
- 31:11by step. Renew our spirits moment by moment.
- 31:15And Father, let your presence be the steady anchor
- 31:20of our souls. Let your word be the light for
- 31:23our path. Let your love be the foundation we
- 31:28stand on. Keep us close to you. Keep us grounded
- 31:32in your truth. Keep us walking in your peace.
- 31:36We give you this week, we give you, our plans.
- 31:40We give you our hearts, and we trust you in every
- 31:44part of our journey. In Jesus' name, amen. This
- 31:54is Pastor David, and you've been listening to
- 31:56Voices of Life, a ministry of the Church for
- 31:59Life. Until next time, stay encouraged, stay
- 32:05prayerful. And stay renewed. We'll see you next
- 32:10week. A ministry of the Church for Life. We look
- 32:40forward to you joining us again. Have a blessed
- 32:47day.