Devotions with Holly Woodbridge

New Life: A pondering by Holly Woodbridge

The bunnies are hopping around our back yard and the crocuses have made their appearance in the front. Spring is getting ready to make its entrance. After the bitter cold of winter, we are ready. The restoration begins.

New life brings hope, it brings joy, and it restores. I shared some words from Psalm 51 with one of my sons the other night as we talked about struggles in our faith. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Three of our church children are getting baptized at our church celebration on the 24th of this month. I had the privilege of sitting with them and listening to their beautiful testimonies of faith. They get it. They get this new life idea, this gift of restoration. They get that God is in the business re-newing.

Sometimes we need to be reminded. We get stuck, we get wilty, we even head toward ...dead. At times like this we can join the psalmist as he prays, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

As Spring approaches and we continue through Lent, let it be a time of prayer, self-examination, repentance, and restoration. Easter is coming. Let the New begin.