February 29

Let me live to praise You; may Your judgments sustain me. — Ps 119:175 BSB

When we live, we live by faith, as the Apostle says, “The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God.” We live by faith when God gives true faith, the precious gift of faith, to our hearts. Then, we truly believe. We believe in Jesus, in His blood, in His righteousness, in His Person, and in His dying love. As faith rises up within us, we begin to live a life of faith in the Son of God. And as we begin to live, we also begin to love. When we’re in darkness, coldness, and spiritual barrenness, there’s no love in us—neither for God nor for others. God's ways seem miserable to us. We neglect the Bible, prayer is scarce, we feel cold and indifferent under preaching, we avoid the company of God’s people, and thoughts of eternity fade from our minds.

But when God revives His work in our hearts, when He renews us with His grace, when He pours out His Spirit, and when He reveals Himself to us with life and power, everything changes. It’s like the coming of spring after a long winter. It’s like rain after a season of drought. “You renew the face of the earth.” There’s a blessed transformation when God Himself shows up in our souls. Then, we truly begin to live.

This new life shows itself in many ways. When we’re spiritually dead, prayer feels like a burden, but when we’re alive, prayer becomes our breath. When we’re dead, even thoughts of God feel heavy, but when we’re alive, they are sweet and pleasant. When we’re dead, our hearts cling to the things of this world, but when we’re alive, our hearts reach upward. When we’re dead, the world is our home, even though it’s a miserable one, but when we’re alive, we look to heaven as the true home for our souls when this life is over.