For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Romans 8:22

We live in a broken world. The evidence is all around us. Wars. Famine. Hatred. Murder. Cars break down. Clothes wear out. Homes require maintenance. From the largest imaginable issues to the smallest personal ones, everything is slowly falling apart. Physics even has a law that says entropy in a system increases over time. We deal with this brokenness via repair services, humanitarian efforts, the legal system, and straight up replacement of worn-out items. But even these methods are broken and only partially successful. True renewal only comes through Christ. He is the One who makes all things new. It is in Him that we die to our old broken self and are reborn as a new creation. But even this is only temporary. Permanent renewal won’t be ours until Christ returns in glory. Then the entire creation will be made anew, free of brokenness.

Terry Buethe
Bellevue, NE

Jesus, when I feel broken, renew my heart and mind. Amen.

Reflect: Look for ways you can be part of someone’s renewal.

Read: Romans 13:1-4 and 1 Peter 5:6-10