God Can Renew Your Life

Life can be tough even in the best of times. We may face disappointments, job loss, or the death of a loved one. We may fail ourselves, others, and God. Our sins can haunt us. We can lose hope and our purpose for living. But there is still hope. God can forgive us, heal our hearts, and renew our lives. Let us consider the story of Jacob. Listen to Genesis 45:26-27: They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. Jacob had lived through a lot of trouble. He had escaped twenty years of domination by his father-in-law. Then his daughter was raped by the son of a local ruler. His sons deceived all the men of that city and murdered them. Then his beloved Rachel died in childbirth. Soon after, his oldest son had an affair with another of his wives. Then came the one blow that brought him down. Joseph, Rachel’s only other child, was now 17. In his grief, Jacob had focused his love on Joseph. His ten older sons were jealous and sold Joseph into slavery. To hide their betrayal, they deceived Jacob to believe that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. This cruel deception cast Jacob into inconsolable grief. He would continue in sorrow and emptiness for the next 22 years. Meanwhile, God’s hand was on Joseph, raising him up to be ruler over all Egypt. Famine drove the ten brothers to Egypt to buy food. Unrecognized by them, Joseph demands that they bring Benjamin to him and holds Simeon as hostage. The other nine return and report this to Jacob. He responds without faith: My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow. The loss of Joseph was still an open wound. Jacob gives up on Simeon without a fight. There is no fight left in him. His soul has been consumed by self-pity and bitterness. He has no hope in his heart. For 22 years, he has merely existed, not really living. But eventually, food ran out again. Their only source for more was in Egypt. But that would require risking Benjamin. Jacob’s initial response was to complain. But he finally relents and agrees to take the risk. The key to this decision is given in Genesis 43:14 where he says: And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved. Jacob recognizes his need for the mercy of God. He begins to put trust in God once again. And he submits to whatever God chooses to do. It is not great faith, but it is more faith than he had been exercising. And God blesses him! Jacob receives the good news: Joseph is alive and rules over all Egypt. He could not believe it. He thought it was impossible. But they brought proof. As he began to believe, his spirit revived. God had restored hope and a reason to live in a most unexpected way. This renewed faith in God brought new blessings. The Bible tells us: So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied. “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.” First, Jacob renewed his worship of God. This part of his life had been lacking due to his lack of faith. Then he once again heard from God. He needed encouragement to go to Egypt. His grandfather, Abraham, had failed miserably when he went to Egypt during a famine. His father, Isaac, had been told by God not to go there during another famine. But God now assures Jacob that he is to settle there and be blessed there by God. So, at the age of 130, Jacob travels south to begin a new life. There he embraces his long-lost son, Joseph, and meets his grandsons. There he is presented to Pharaoh and has the honor of blessing this ruler. And there he lives out his life with abundance. There is an old gospel song that says: “It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.” What God did for Jacob, He can and will do for you if you trust Him. Are you living less than a full life? Do you carry a burden of old hurts, losses, or failures? Are you haunted by guilt or other memories? Are you holding on to unforgiveness? Do you carry load of unforgiven sin? Are you existing but not really living? God can renew your life. But… You must risk trusting God. Climb out of your protective shell of self-pity or victimhood. Confess everything to God, the hurts, the loses, your failures, your guilt and sins, your unforgiveness. Choose to trust everything to Jesus. Believe that He died to bear everything for you. Believe that He rose again to give you life to the full. Take the risk to live by faith, relying on Jesus to change you. God will do what you thought impossible. God responds to faith, to those who risk trusting in Him. God brings good out of the hard times of life. God will do a new work in your life if you just trust Him. He will renew your spirit. He will give you reason to live. He will renew you in your worship and service to God. He will open a new life for you. He will restore your broken relationships. Does your life need to be renewed? Then confess everything to God. Call on Jesus and trust your life to Him as Savior. Risk total submission to Jesus as your Lord. What have you got to lose? Let me pray for you!