HOW TO REFRESH YOUR LIFE

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25

What do you find refreshing? Maybe it is reading a good book. Perhaps it is a good laugh or taking a stroll on the beach. But of all the refreshing experiences we can find, nothing can compare to the renewal of the mind and spirit found in God’s presence.

The Bible teaches that we need to experience spiritual refreshment in our personal and daily lives. Spiritual refreshment happens when we draw near to God, our hearts are quieted in a devotional time of prayer, and we meditate upon God, worship Him, and experience His presence daily.

There are times when we need spiritual refreshment. Sometimes, things seem to hit us one after the other, and it feels like we never get a break from it all. Other times, we face the consequences of our actions, which can lead us to spiritual exhaustion. The Bible says we can be spiritually refreshed in those times, too.

Acts 3:19 – 20 (AMP) says, “So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; and that He may send [to you] Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you.”  Isaiah 44:3 (ESV)  says, “ God is the refresher and provides nourishment by pouring out His Spirit on us. The Holy Spirit is able to fill up our hungry and dry hearts. When our souls are refreshed it’s like water is being poured onto a thirsty land.“

Jesus is there to refresh. The refreshing love of Christ energizes and rejuvenates. Early in His ministry, Jesus announced this about himself: “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart” (John 7:37-38). This was more than a theological statement. He made a critical point: The religion of the day had taken a toll on God’s people. It should have refreshed them, but it did the opposite. Jesus told them that He was the refreshing spring that never stops flowing.

Christ is the ultimate source of rest and refreshment. We must recognize that true replenishing, refreshing rest doesn’t come from external sources but from Jesus. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus offers us eternal life, the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual nourishment.

There is no better way for believers to experience a refreshing time than quieting our hearts in devotional prayer and Bible reading. When we spend time alone with the Lord, we can experience His peace and joy and feel refreshed.

 Discussion Questions:

1.     Have you experienced a time of refreshment from reading Scripture?

2.     What can you do this week to find refreshment in the chaos of life?