Outer Man Perishing, Inner Man Renewed
Though the outer fades, the inner refreshes—day by day, renewed in Christ.
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reflection from Bob Hoekstra reminds us that there’s more happening in our lives than meets the eye. While the outward, physical body inevitably weakens and ages—something we all observe and experience—there’s an invisible, powerful work taking place within. For the believer who walks in the grace of God, that inner person—the spirit made alive in Christ—is being renewed day by day.
Those who live by grace are guarded against discouragement, not because they’re immune to suffering, but because they draw from a deeper source of life. Grace does not promise to reverse aging or remove affliction, but it guarantees something infinitely more important: continual inward transformation. We are not losing heart because we are not losing Christ. Though we may feel the effects of dust returning to dust, we rejoice in the reality that our inner man is growing stronger in Him, being transformed into His likeness by His Spirit.
This daily renewal is not powered by effort but by beholding—by fixing our eyes on Jesus, allowing the Spirit to conform us more and more into His image. We aren’t clinging to this life for significance or security. Instead, we rest in the ongoing work of grace, which assures us that even as the outer fades, the inner flourishes.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
Though your body bears the marks of time, your spirit bears the marks of eternity. I dwell within you, not as a visitor, but as your very life. While the world tries to preserve the outer shell, I am quietly, steadily shaping the inner sanctuary.
Each day you yield to Me, I renew what truly matters. I formed your spirit anew in Christ, and I am transforming you from glory to glory as you gaze upon My Son. This transformation is not something you must produce—it is something you receive. My renewing presence does not depend on your energy or ability but on your resting gaze and surrendered heart.
Do not lose heart as you feel the effects of the fall in your body. I am not discouraged, and I do not despair. I know who you are becoming. Your true self is not the one seen in the mirror, but the one seated with Christ in the heavens. Even as the world sees deterioration, I see renewal. My work in you will not stop until it is complete.
So walk in joy, knowing that what I have begun I will finish. Your spirit is alive because of righteousness. Your hope is not in resisting decay but in welcoming transformation. Fix your eyes not on what is temporary but on what is eternal—your union with Me, your life hidden with Christ in God.
Scriptures referenced: 2 Corinthians 4:16; Romans 5:12; Genesis 2:7; Genesis 3:19; Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 3:18; John 15:5; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 2:6; Romans 8:10; Colossians 3:3
🧃 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like freshly squeezing lemon into a glass of water every morning. The outer fruit slowly withers, but the juice inside brings refreshing life. What’s visible loses its shine, but what’s inside adds flavor and vitality to every new day. The outer peels, but the inner pours.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, I thank You that I don’t need to panic as the outward fades. You have already given me what cannot be lost—Your life within. Each day You renew me from the inside out, not through my striving but through Your Spirit’s indwelling presence. I rejoice that my identity is not tied to the temporary but to the eternal. You are making me new, day by day, in Christ—and I rest in that truth today.