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Thursday Thoughts

January 25, 2024

The batteries in everything I own have had to be changed or charged in the last few weeks. I looked in my recycling container at the number of batteries I have replaced and there were eighteen in there since Christmas. Let’s see, the TV remote needed batteries, as did the gas fireplace starter, and the emergency radio that I keep with my battery-run lanterns had gone dead. The battery-powered candle had flickered its last flicker, and the clock on my desk had ticked its last tock. The dog’s underground fence battery had to be exchanged for a fresh one in her collar. The battery in the car key fob was getting weak so it had to be replaced. Tax season is coming up and the battery-operated calculator is slowing down and the pencil sharpener is useless without a proper power source. Some batteries can be recharged with a few hours of plug-in time. The leaf blower couldn’t even muster a little poof after blowing the snow off the sidewalk and truck without a recharge. The portable power bank I use for charging the phone when the power is off or I am without a power source needs to be charged. The phone is charged every night and the laptop battery won’t even hold a charge any longer and is plugged in all the time. I am always cognizant of the car and truck battery life so I don’t get caught with a dead vehicle battery.

Have you ever asked someone how they were doing and they responded that their battery needed a recharge? Often a vacation or a weekend getaway is necessary to improve our outlook. A change of scenery will help clean the lens of how we look at life and renew us to start again.

What does the Bible say about recharging our soul or as the writers stated, renewing our Spirit? There is a famous verse in Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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 grow faint.” Even when life is tough, we can plug into the strength of the Lord to be renewed. 

King David wrote in Psalm 51 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me.” We see that David is asking God to renew his spirit after he has made some grievous choices. God forgave him and David was renewed. God hears our pleas as well. When we partake in communion we should feel recharged, renewed, forgiven, and ready to face the world again. The intimate observance of communion is a recharge moment, a time of our asking for pardon and receiving it repeatedly. 

Because we are led by the Holy Spirit, when we accept Christ into our hearts, we are shown mercy and forgiveness. We have the Holy Spirit, the third and equal person of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Even though we are sometimes spiritually frail, there is nothing we do to deserve the richness of his gift. It is because of God’s love for us.“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Do our spiritual batteries run low sometimes? Of course, they do. But we have no reason to despair. We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 4:16 of this wonderful verse of assurance; “So we do not lose heart even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” It is a mark of Christian maturity to recognize our need to feel the presence of God and his love for us even when our batteries are running low. We need to feel his power in our lives. All we need to do is plug into the Source.

                                                                                Blessings,

                                                                                Becky

Bridgewater UMC 

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Bridgewater, VA 22812

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