Rhythms of Renewal

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” – Proverbs. 4:23

These words of wisdom from King Solomon emphasize the importance of protecting our innermost being. Our heart is the source of our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and actions. Therefore, it is crucial to guard our hearts above all else.

We live in a world that pushes us to perform, please, and pretend. But Jesus invites us to come just as we are—bruised, burned out, and barely hanging on. In His presence, we don’t just rest, we are restored. That means He brings us back to who He created us to be before the world weighed us down.

God isn’t just concerned with eternity…. He is concerned about our NOW… our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical wellness NOW and he is always concerned with it! God is calling us to release the things that don’t serve us; refresh in the stillness of His love and renew our spirits to walk in His truth.

Let go of what you're not meant to carry. Breathe in His peace and walk away a woman who’s not just healed—but whole. How do we do that? We determine to start new rhythms in our lives.  Psalms 23 breaks this down for us:

Verse 1: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." - This establishes God as a caring shepherd who PROVIDES for ALL our needs.

Verse 2: "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters." - This symbolizes peace and REST, indicating God's guidance to tranquility.

Verse 3: "He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." - This reflects spiritual renewal and guidance towards righteousness. He RESTORES us.

Verse 4: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." - This verse emphasizes God's presence during difficult times, providing comfort and protection. He CONNECTS with us on a personal level.

Verses 5-6: "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." - These verses highlight God's blessings and assurance of His goodness throughout life. Allowing us to CREATE our own environment even in the presence of our enemies.

This breakdown illustrates Rhythms that bring renewal:

REST, RESTORE, CONNECT, CREATE.

These things can help us cultivate the spiritual and mental space needed to allow God to bring us through complacency and fear and into freedom!

1. REST:

Again Verse 2 says: "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters." - This symbolizes peace and REST, indicating God's guidance to tranquility. REST precedes blessing. “We don’t have to run to earn rest; we run fueled by a posture of rest!” (Rebekah Lyons) God called the day He rested HOLY…. He saw it as sacred and then he told his people to have reverence for it. Then Jesus showed us the importance of rest as well…. After many “miracle moments”, JESUS retreated to REST! Quiet was part of his consistent routine – so how much more must WE need it in our lives? Quiet teaches us to LISTEN… to DISCERN…. To UNDERSTAND others better.

QUIET REFLECTION. Take some time for quiet reflection (this can be 15 minutes or hours) and note of where your thoughts go when you are all alone without any distractions. Because until you get quiet you can’t know what your heart needs to confess! You cannot heal what is hidden, but when you confess something out loud, you bring it into the light, where it can be healed.

WRITE DOWN:

WHAT DO I NEED TO RELEASE?

PAUSE AND REST AND TAKE INVENTORY…. Where is God leading me? What new people has he placed in my path? What new commitment is he asking me to make? NOW - What, if anything, do I need to release to make room for Him and what He is doing in my life?

WHAT’S Wrong? (where have I veered off course?)

WHAT’s Confused? (journal through thoughts if you are spiraling)

WHAT’s Missing? Talk through things to make sure they are rooted in the story God has called you to live!

**Once you have journaled about the things you need to release, you have the option to burn the paper or keep it for reflection to make sure you continue to release these things.

  2. RESTORE & CONNECT:

Verse 3: "He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." - This reflects spiritual renewal and guidance towards righteousness. He RESTORES us. He doesn’t leave us where we are at, HE GUIDES US – but we have to listen for His voice….. we have to CONNECT!

Verse 4: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." - This verse emphasizes God's presence during difficult times, providing comfort and protection. He CONNECTS with us on a personal level. BUT it’s always our choice! We must listen and watch for Him. He doesn’t force us to do this; we must choose DAILY to connect with Him so that He can rebuild in us the foundations that the world crushed. It’s through the crushing that HE reveals Himself. His presence is your peace.

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.” Hosea 6:1 (ESV)

This verse is raw and honest—it shows that God sometimes tears or strikes, not to destroy, but to heal and restore. The breaking is not the end of the story—it’s the beginning of renewal.

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." - Psalm 34:18

QUIET REFLECTION:

• Name one past hurt or failure that God is rebuilding in you.

• What fresh vision for your life is He laying as a new foundation?

  3. CREATE:

Verses 5-6: "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." - These verses highlight God's blessings and assurance of His goodness throughout life. Allowing us to CREATE our own environment even in the presence of our enemies.

He sets a feast for you, even in trials. He is building up your testimony so that you can share how He showed up! It important for us to go through these rhythms so that we can keep our focus on JESUS. The scripture lays out a rhythm of renewal that we can follow.

QUIET REFLECTION:

• Share one way you’ve experienced God’s “table” this year. Write or prepare to share your testimony.

• Brainstorm how you can “prepare a table” (serve) for someone else this week. Pray for a divine appointment to share your story with someone who needs Jesus.

Once we REST – and prayerfully consider where God wants us to decrease ourselves so that HE CAN INCREASE in us, then allow Him to RESTORE US as we CONNECT to Him. Then it is our responsibility to CREATE an environment where we can continue the cycle as we SHARE our testimony so that we build His Kingdom. It’s a never-ending rhythm of renewal that we must constantly push through. BUT IT ALL STARTS WITH REST.

******Please see the book: "Rhythms of Renewal" by Rebekah Lyons - A lot of this was inspired by her book!