5 People in the Bible Whose Faith was Renewed 

Are you feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges? You’re not alone. In fact, the Bible is filled with people who also faced challenging circumstances that tested their faith. Their stories remind us, however, that our faith can be renewed through God’s love and power.

In this article, there are five Bible stories of people whose faith was renewed. Each person highlighted faced times of hardship—loss of loved ones, persecution, and setbacks. Yet, each story reveals how God can lovingly and patiently partner with us so that our faith is renewed, even in tough times. If you’re needing inspiration for your own spiritual renewal, please take a look at the Bible stories below!

#1: Naomi: Restored through God’s Grace (Book of Ruth)

Naomi, her husband, and two sons moved from Israel to Moab to escape a famine (Ruth 1:1). While in Moab, her husband passed away and her two sons married. One of her sons married, Ruth, a Moabitess. They lived in Moab for ten years until Naomi’s two sons also passed away (Ruth 1:3-5). This left Naomi and her daughters-in-law without the benefit of a male relative to care for them. Naomi decided to return to Israel, and Ruth went with her (Ruth 1:8-18). Upon her return, Naomi blamed God for her difficult circumstances and proclaimed that her name should be changed to Mara, which means bitter (Ruth 1:20).

Despite her frustration and wavering faith, God had a plan for Naomi and Ruth. Boaz, a relative, took care of them. He made sure that Ruth would be able to harvest food in his field (Ruth 2:8-12). He fed her and gave her food to take home to Naomi (Ruth 2:17-18). Eventually, Boaz married Ruth and accepted the responsibility of providing an heir for her deceased husband’s family. He also took care of her deceased husband’s land until the heir was old enough to inherit it (Ruth 4:9-11). God worked through both Boaz and Ruth to bless Naomi who later realized that He was at work in her situation (Ruth 4:14-15).

What We Can Learn: 

Naomi’s story shows us that God is faithful, even when our own faith wavers. He is at work even when we don’t realize it, and we simply need to rest in His wisdom and grace. When we do, He is more than able to touch the difficult circumstances in our lives so that our faith can be renewed.

#2: Gideon: Faith Strengthened through Curiosity (Judges 6-8)

Gideon received a call from God to lead the Israelites in a battle against the Midianites, their oppressors (Judges 6:12-16). Initially, Gideon questioned God’s call. He wondered why God hadn’t intervened earlier. He asked for signs to confirm God’s message (Judges 6:20-22). 

Despite Gideon’s hesitancy, God patiently responded to him. God then asked Gideon to destroy his family’s altar to a false god. Instead of worshipping idols, they were to build a new altar to the Lord and worship Him (Judges 6:25-27). After Gideon completed this task, he was filled with God’s Spirit. 

With God’s help, Gideon went into battle with only three hundred men and triumphed (Judges 7:7)! It was God’s power—not the strength of the Israelite army—that won the battle.

What Can We Learn: 

It’s okay to ask God questions when we need our faith renewed. Gideon asked questions and even asked for signs and wonders to confirm God’s message. Renewing our faith may require us to bring our difficult questions to God. 

#3: King Josiah: Faith Renewed through God’s Word (2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35)

King Josiah was a righteous king who led his people to restore their worship of God. When he was twenty-six years old, the Book of the Law (the first five books of the Bible) was rediscovered (2 Kings 22:8-10). Prior to its discovery, it had been lost because the people of Judah turned to worshipping false gods. 

Josiah and his government officials read the book and were convicted. He then sent his officials to consult with a prophetess. They learned that God was angry and had declared that He would bring a disaster upon Judah (2 Kings 22:15-19).

In response, Josiah gathered the people for a public reading of God’s Law. He then led the people to renew their covenant with God (2 Kings 23:1-3). Josiah also destroyed every idol, temple, and altar that had been created for false gods. He later restored the Passover celebration that was neglected (2 Kings 23:21). 

What We Can Learn:

King Josiah’s story reminds us that renewing our faith starts with repentance. Josiah desired to turn back to God. It required relearning God’s Word, renouncing false gods, and practicing faith in a practical way. Similarly, we must also repent and recommit to following God in order for our faith to be renewed.

#4: Nehemiah: Renewed through Rebuilding and Revival (Book of Nehemiah)

A group of Israelites were in the process of rebuilding their city and their lives. They were returning to their home country after being exiled and held captive in Persia. During this time, a government official named Nehemiah heard that the Israelites were struggling (Nehemiah 1:1-3). A broken-down wall left the city vulnerable to attack. The Israelites also faced opposition from political enemies who used their influence to make things difficult for them (Nehemiah 4:1).

Hearing about the challenges, Nehemiah requested a commission from the king to aid the Israelites in rebuilding the wall (Nehemiah 2:1-5). Through Nehemiah’s courageous leadership and God’s grace, the Israelites completed this task in fifty two days. Once they finished the physical restoration, the Israelites started a spiritual restoration through a public revival. Under the leadership of Nehemiah and the priesthood, the they confronted their current sin and re-established their covenant with God (Nehemiah 8:2-3; Nehemiah 10:28-29).

What We Can Learn:

Renewing our faith may mean working through the broken areas in our lives, including coming to terms with past sin. However, we can trust that God will meet us in our brokenness and provide his grace, love, and power to help us move forward. Our faith can be renewed when we choose to trust God with our struggles and embrace His truth about our situation.

#5: Job: Faith Renewed through Leaning into God (Book of Job)

Perhaps one of the hardest stories in the Bible, Job was a wealthy and righteous man. He was also a man of great faith who enjoyed the favor of God. Yet, Job lost everything—his family, his wealth, and his status. Satan went to God and asked for permission to test Job’s faith (Job 1:1-12). He believed that Job only worshipped God because God was blessing Job. To prove his point, he wanted to strip Job of every blessing. Eventually, Satan even attacked Job’s health.

Despite everything, Job refused to abandon his faith. Even when his own wife encouraged him to curse God, he refused (Job 2:9-10). He did, however, question God’s goodness and sense of justice (Job 10:2-8). During Job’s time of suffering, he had several friends come to visit him. They all accused Job of somehow committing a sin that brought him under the judgement of God. Yet, Job knew he did not live a lifestyle of sin and defended his faith walk (Job 32:1-3). He also desired to plead his case to God because he believed he was being punished for sins he didn’t commit (Job 30:19-21). In the end, God ends Jobs time of suffering and restores to him everything he lost during his trial (Job 42:10).

What We Can Learn:

Job was under a spiritual attack from the enemy. However, Job ended up accusing God of being unjust. During times of suffering, we can grow mistrustful of our Heavenly Father. In those times, it’s important for us to cultivate a desire to be close to Him. Just like Job, we can lean into our relationship with God so that our faith can be renewed.

Final Encouragement

When we face trials in life, it can really challenge our faith. However, our faith can be renewed if we put our trust in God. We can bring Him our tough questions. We can trust His promises. And lastly, we can rest in His power and grace. Our Heavenly Father loves us and will join us in our trials. When He does, we get an opportunity to deepen our relationship with Him and refresh our faith in the process. 

Key Takeaways from Five People in the Bible Whose Faith was Renewed:

• God is still at work even when our faith wavers. Our faith can be renewed when we rest in God’s wisdom and grace
• When our faith needs renewal, it’s okay to ask questions. Just like Gideon, we can bring our questions to God and trust that He will lovingly and patiently address them
• Repentance and a desire for God’s Word can ignite spiritual passion. Renewal starts when we rediscover God’s Word and recommit to godly living
• Restoration can lead to a spiritual revival. We need to trust God with the broken areas of our lives and allow his power, love, and grace to help us move forward
• Suffering can open the door to a deeper relationship with God. Our faith can be renewed if we choose to lean into our relationship with God during times of hardship

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What Bible story inspires you when your faith needs to be renewed? Share in the comments below!