Renew

By Pastor Dobie Weasel

“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.: Psalm 103:1-5 KJV

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31 KJV

When you hear the word renew what do you think of? I think of renewing my driver’s license, or renewing my subscription, or perhaps even renewing my ministers credentials. This was something that I had to do every year for many years. It consisted of me filling out a form and sending it in with my annual fee. 

I’m sure that nobody ever really looked at the application for renewal. If they did they would’ve seen that I had not changed my stand on our denominational doctrine, and I still supported the General Council. But in reality I think they probably looked at the name and examined the amount on the check. And as long as the amount was right what more could they care?

So, to be honest the word renew doesn’t seem to be very appealing to me. It conjures up images of long lines, and irritating exams. It brings to mind images of spending money that I didn’t have in places that I’m not sure even needed it. 

But not so when we look into the Bible. For here the word renew takes on a different meaning. It is associated with other words like strength and satisfaction. When God says renew he means something so completely foreign to what I would normally associate with the word renew. For the biblical word is the word “Chalaph”, and it means to change, to go on from, or “to sprout again.” 

That’s why it is associated with the eagle. For at certain times, eagles molt and “sprout” their wings again. And many people believe that the reference in these scriptures is to the “molting” process of a mature eagle. As one commentator puts it…

In the life of an eagle, he will go through a "molting" process that will bring great depression. This is a wilderness time that all eagles will face. Certain eagles live for about 30 years and then they begin to lose their feathers, beak and talons. During this time, the eagle will walk like a turkey. He has no strength to fly. They will scratch their talons down to the nubs and knock their beak off to rid themselves of the "calcium deposit build up," after they have pulled out all their feathers. They become completely vulnerable and many eagles die at this point. After this waiting period, that lasts for quite a while as his feathers, beak and talons grow back, the eagle will soar again with greater strength than ever before! 

Sometimes we come to a point in our lives where there is a "molting" stage and it looks as though we have been stripped down to nothing. Many Christians give up at this point and "throw in the towel.” But if you will just keep moving into your destiny, you will find that there is something waiting for you. Your strength will be renewed, your feathers will sprout again, and you will find yourself stronger and better than before.

Challenge:

Take stock of the last year. For many, 2020 may be counted as a molting season. Where life has knocked you down, where you’re vulnerable, and when giving up seems like the only option. If this is you, your challenge today and in ending our 21 days of prayer and fasting is to admit your weakness and allow God to renew you. Pray that He gives you the strength to soar like the eagles, prepared and renewed for what He has ahead.