I’m not a coffee drinker (but I do love the smell of coffee). The following rings true for so many people. Every morning the coffee maker is programmed to turn itself on so it’s ready to go when you need it or you stop daily at your favorite coffee shop to get your specific blend, because it’s a struggle to function without that first cup of coffee. You crave that initial sip and relish in the warmth of the cup in your hand. Most mornings wouldn’t be the same without your cup of coffee.

Do we have that same attitude about Jesus? We should wake up each morning bursting at the seams to be with God, to be in His presence, to listen for His still small voice, to savor Him. Yet on many days we don’t. We get busy. We get discouraged. We get distracted.

A fresh brewed faith daily strengthens us, renews us, and enables us to mount up with wings like eagles, to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint. The prophet Isaiah said this about the readiness of God to bless His children (Isaiah 40:29-31).

God is the source of the non-fainting faith we long to live with, and He stands ready to meet with and provide for all who seek Him ( Ephesians 2:8-10).

Considering this, how can we experience this power the Lord offers us each day? By getting alone with God, reading the Bible, and listening for His voice. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17 ESV).

Even still, like a morning with no coffee, foggy faith days happen to all of us. Times when trusting the Lord doesn’t come easily. Times when we need a shot of spiritual espresso. What can we do on days and in moments like this? We can remember.

One practical way to bolster faith is by the simple act of remembrance.

When David was just a shepherd boy, he had courage to face a giant named Goliath in part because he remembered the ways the Lord had helped him in the past. He approached King Saul with great confidence, saying “Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God”(1 Samuel 17:36).

Young David’s past victories bolstered his believing and helped him to trust God with the scary giant in front of him. Through the spiritual discipline of remembering, our past victories can fuel our faith and help us trust God with the challenges we face today. We can face the giants of today with a David-sized confidence by pausing to remember how God has helped us in the past.

When we trust God to give us a fresh brewed faith, He fills up our soul, simply because of who He is: our Strength, our Sustainer, our Fortress, our Deliverer, our Healer, our Redeemer, our Prince of Peace, our Comfort and our Hiding Place. All of which enables us to run and not grow weary. To walk and not be faint. Lord, Pour me a cup of that!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you’ve brought me through so many challenging times. Please remind me of Your faithfulness in the past so I can have a fresh shot of faith that equips me to live today in Your strength. Help me to trust You, and keep me from leaning on my own understanding. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

PEARLStoPONDER: What has God brought you through in the past? Think on these things. Write them down. Talk about them. And choose to trust God to bring you through all you face today and tomorrow.

Isaiah 40:29-31-- He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.³⁰ Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;³¹ but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Lamentations 3:22-23-- The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;²³ they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Ephesians 3:20-- Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Hebrews 10:23-- Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 11:11-- By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.