Renewal (09.24.17)

In the 13th year, on the 9th day, of the 14th hour, I began to prepare the place of my memorial to the Lord. I began by praying to the Lord, and then read Joshua 3 and 4. I cleared a space against the tree and laid the 9 bricks to form my altar to the Lord – 9 for the number God gave me as a promise long ago that was founded in His speaking of Genesis 9:13 to me. It also just happened to be 9 days into my 13th year of salvation. These numbers remind me of a great promise He gave me years ago, and of His faithfulness He gives us in the rainbow from Genesis 9:13.

Next I gathered the 5 jars that represented the 5 idols of my life, idols that had only recently been revealed to me. I have spent the majority of my life obsessing over these 5 idols, consumed with them and all they represent to me, and I knew they must be destroyed.

I then took up my pen and paper and wrote my letter of repentance to God, for Him alone to know. I laid it upon the altar and lit it on fire to be consumed for the Lord while reading Joshua 4:24 aloud: “that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, so that you may fear the Lord your God forever”. I then read it a second time, this time replacing “you” with “I” and “your” with “my”.

By this time the letter had been consumed and I gazed upon the jars which I had filled with water. The read, “My plans”, “My dreams”, “My education”, “My career”, and “My MIND” – this last one was the driving force between the other idols and had been my most treasured idol, so it was the biggest jar. One by one I took each jar and poured it onto the altar. The ashes of the letter were washed away, and I continued this process until all the jars were empty, for to be filled we must first be empty.

With the idols now dry of any and all investments I once had in them, I again laid them on the altar, one by one, and destroyed each with the hammer, praying with each movement I took.

With the idols now destroyed, I opened up the Word and read Matthew 26:26-28 and took communion before the Lord, for I now understood my spiritual position. I then played “Have It All” and worshipped before the Lord, singing aloud in that place, praising Him for all He has done and for this season of renewal.

I named the place ἀνακαινόω (anakainoō), which is Greek for “renew”. In Greek this means to renew, to restore, to bring back; make new; restore. Whenever I see this place, I will know my inner self is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16), and I will know the hand of the Lord is mighty so that I may fear the Lord my God forever (Joshua 4:24). For I will speak of this place forever as a physical representation of how God has moved in my life. This is the place where I was washed in God’s grace. This is the place where destruction became renewal. This is the place that speaks of what the Lord has done.

Oh praise Him, praise Him forever!