Recharging Your Faith

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

When Simeon’s promise from God hadn’t come to fruition, he made the conscious decision to change his testimony. Rather than just saying the promise hasn’t happened, he said, “It just hasn’t happened, YET.” He kept coming to the temple, and rather than just proclaiming that the Messiah hasn’t come, he came saying, “The Messiah just hasn’t come, YET.” And that ought to be the posture of every child of God: “It’s not that my promise hasn’t come. My promise hasn’t come YET.”

It’s that kind of posture that will recharge your faith. The same way that a gas tank gets drained with time, so can your faith dwindle with the passage of time if you’re not careful. But Simeon learned how to recharge his faith by declaring it isn’t over until God says it’s over.  

At the time, there was a traditional Jewish service that had three components that I believe helped to refresh, refuel, and recharge Simeon's faith. There was the reading of the Word, the offering of prayer, and the fellowship with the saints. We’re going to talk about all three of these spiritual disciplines over the next few days. But for today, I want us to focus on the importance of spending time reading the Word—our Bibles.  

When we need to refuel our faith, we need to go to the Word of God. That’s why we gather for worship, whether in person or online, because the Word helps us maintain our sanity in the midst of life’s madness. The Bible says “the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Hearing the Word when you’re down increases your faith, it restores your joy, and it gives you confidence. It reminds you that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. It reminds you that they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall walk and not faint.

Does your faith need recharging today? Are you in need of some refueling? If so, I would encourage you to do what Simeon did. Dig into the Word of God. Spend time in prayer, and fellowship with other believers. I can promise you that you’ll be amazed at how God uses each of these disciplines to reignite and recharge your faith when you feel depleted.
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