Read: Psalm 103:1-5; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. (2 Cor. 4:16)
As the legend goes, the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was trying to find the fabled Fountain of Youth when he “discovered” Florida in 1513. People today are still seeking the secret of youth. You don’t have to look very far for the promises—herbal supplements, ice baths, exercise routines, spa treatments, mindfulness techniques, medical procedures, you name it. Anything to stave off the inevitable.
There is more to us, though, than our aging bodies. You’ve heard the expression “young at heart”? Well, believers are young in spirit. That’s what the psalmist is getting at when he says that God “satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 103:5). He’s not talking about some sort of magic elixir that turns back the clock. The good that most satisfies us is God himself (Ps. 17:15). It’s knowing him, loving him, looking forward to seeing him that keeps our spirits young. Isaiah put it like this: “They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31).
In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul draws a series of contrasts: between our physical and spiritual natures, between visible and invisible reality, between the transient present world and the eternal world to come, between the afflictions of the now and the everlasting glory of the then. His conclusion? “So we do not lose heart” (v. 16).
As you pray, ask God to satisfy your spirit and renew your strength.
David Bast is a writer and pastor who served for 23 years as the President and Broadcast Minister for Words of Hope. In his more than 40 years of devotional writing and preaching, he has been encouraging believers around the world to be shaped by God and his Word.
Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he is the author of nine devotional books and Bible studies, including God of My Days,Why Doesn't God Act More Like God,Christ in the Psalms, andA Gospel for the World.
Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and eight grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
