Good morning. I ask that you would think back through your days and times and recall a moment when you were in desperate need for refreshment. Perhaps it was a time when your activities had called for physical exertion on a hot, steamy day and you became so thirsty you longed for water. Perhaps it was a time when arguments had shaped your day and you felt physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. Perhaps it was a moment when your job seemed like a heavy weight around your neck and you weren’t sure if you could summon the energy to care, to try, or to show up at all. Perhaps it was a time when your worship felt tedious and empty, and you longed for something to once again “light your fire” so that you could feel alive with the heart of worship and regain a sense of purpose. There may be any number of different circumstances that leave us feeling empty, thirsty, tired, and alone.
For today’s thought I would like to share with you a few of the scriptures that speak of refreshment in the Lord.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Psalm 42:1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3
“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” Jeremiah 31:25
And whenever the discomforting spirit sent from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the discomforting spirit departed from him. 1 Samuel 6:23
May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 2 Timothy 1:16
“‘It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’” Exodus 31:17
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. Isaiah 40:31
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
I would like to note that when it comes to refreshment, God sends His refreshing energy directly to us, sometimes. At other times He guides us to the places and situations that will provide refreshment. There are certainly times when God guides our brothers and sisters in faith to provide for us the needed refreshment.
I wonder if, in these troubling days, we have become so spoiled with the refreshments of the world around us that we assume that those things are the only helps available to God’s children. There is no doubt that we all, from time to time, find ourselves running low on physical energy, and we may also note that our spiritual tanks are approaching empty. When that is our situation, we would be ill advised to try and satisfy those needs in the same way we attempt to satisfy the near daily needs of refreshment from our exhausting daily grind. Matters of the spirit require spiritual help and answers.
Please read through those scriptures of refreshment again and consider how they speak to you regarding your daily needs as well as your ongoing spiritual needs. God cares for you. God promises to supply you. God promises never to abandon you. God will provide refreshment in accordance with His wisdom and His love.
Vern