DEEPER STILL: Week Forty-Six
Love, Joy, Peace
Zechariah 4:6b
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
Reflections
Seeking a renewed spirit after hardships of loss, betrayal, abuse, or medical challenges can feel elusive. We may try to conjure a positive attitude, think happy thoughts, pursue new relationships, or pack our schedules to drown out sorrow. But these are temporary solutions. They cannot reach the deepest places of our broken spirits. True renewal comes only from the God of the universe, through the healing presence of the Holy Spirit.
As we walk through trauma, it’s common to cast blame, grow angry, shake our fists, question endlessly, or even resist God. And yet, in the midst of every expression of pain, He continues to reach toward us in eternal love. He understands. Scripture calls Him “despised and rejected by men…a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). With this intimate knowledge of suffering, He longs to comfort us and restore our spirits to a place of healing and hope.
Hebrews reminds us that we have a High Priest who “sympathizes with our weaknesses,” and therefore we can “come boldly to the throne of grace” to receive mercy and help in our time of need (Heb. 4:14–16). As we look to Jesus, we learn what it truly means to be renewed in the spirit with love, joy, and peace—fruits we cannot manufacture on our own but which grow from His Spirit alive within us.
Jesus is the ultimate example of love—love that sacrificed Himself for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8). He did not wait for us to clean ourselves up or confess our need. He saw our broken, sinful state and willingly gave Himself in our place (Eph. 5:2).
He also shows us the path to lasting joy. Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Destruction in our lives does not come from the heart of God but from the enemy of our souls.
And according to Ephesians 2:14, “He Himself is our peace.” As we lean into these truths of God’s Word, our perspective shifts. We begin to see our temporary struggles in light of eternal realities—and that is where the renewal of our spirits truly begins.
How are you intentionally leaning into the Holy Spirit’s power to produce love, joy, and peace in your life today?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the reminder that I am not alone and You have not left me in my sorrow and pain. Please help me to lean into the power of the Holy Spirit today.
