that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.¹

Memberships, streaming services, magazine or newspaper subscriptions all require annual renewals. If you are like me, you have probably placed these services on automatic renewal and then forget about them until a year later when you get charged for it. Or maybe you are the type that prefers to do a shorter timeframe, weekly or monthly, so it stays fresh in your mind and you are better aware of your commitment. Whichever your preference may be, you are sure to receive a notice reminding you that, “It is Time to Renew”! It is in the highest interest of the company to make sure they can continue to count on your loyalty.

Our Christian walk is quite like this, and I am especially reminded of it around the “christian” holidays like Easter and Christmas. Many of us make it a point to attend church on these special days, once or twice a year, as if renewing our subscription with God. Others may take our commitment a little more seriously and attend once a month, to keep the renewal fresh in our minds. And those that are truly committed to our Heavenly membership make sure to check in at least once a week for our spiritual renewal! God is very much interested in our continued loyalty and throughout Scripture, and many times in our day to day, He sends us spiritual notifications to remind us that it is time for renewal!

Recently, we celebrated the Resurrection of our Savior�"we sang praises, worshipped, and indeed felt renewed by the Holy Spirit. Allow the celebration to continue in your heart the whole year through. Revisit your commitment. Renew your eternal membership today!

Suggested prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for never turning me away even when it takes me a while to come back to you. Your Mercy and your Love are new every day. Fill me with the desire to stay close to you, in your Word, and in your presence. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

1.    Psalm 27:4 (ESV).

Today’s Encounter was written by: Veronica B.