Refreshment Comes from on High, Accepting It Comes from Yourself

In the Book of Acts, chapter three specifically, we are told to turn from our ways to God, that times of refreshing may come from Him (I can’t seem to break my habit of kicking the Chicago Manual of Style for religious pronouns.)

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:19-21 [KJV]).

The presence of God in our lives brings refreshment. Renewal, new chapters waiting to be explored.

I tried something a little different tonight, and I have to say I much enjoyed it.

Sometimes you just need to take a breather and focus on divine light.

When you feel the divine presence, you can breathe a little easier and not worry so much about the trivial things, the big things, or the missing things.

The Greek word anapsuxis (Strong’s Greek 403) can mean a restoration of the soul as well as refreshment in and of itself.

For me, deep prayer and meditation on heavenly things bring the best results.

Whether I’m working, relaxing, or finding myself having a thought impressed upon me, I can’t always shake the prompt to pray or ponder. Taking that minute to reset helps so much.

Refreshment and not worrying so much about how things will work out puts the mind at almost perfect ease.

Recently, I took on too much at once, realizing professional quality doesn’t come from a huge backlog of work churned out monthly.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23 [ESV]).

We’re supposed to work hard on things and treat them as though we’re working for the God of all creation.

Work heartily is better translated, as with soul. The Hebrew concept of soul-correction applies here, as the ultimate fulfillment will come from what you’re wired to do from God (credit to the rabbis for their useful insights on such topics).

But that doesn’t mean doing careless work on other avenues of life because you have your purpose, which refreshes the soul.

Serve the employer, the customer, the client, the fan, and whoever else with all your soul, as you would to God.

I see this as a type of refreshment for me to start anew with my writing and hone the words like a sword being created in the fiery forge.

I see many writers, musicians, and other talents I respect do this with their work. They’re not putting out “good enough.” They’re putting out wonderful works of art.

Finding that joy in what we do is a refreshing thing, and it comes from God. The Book of Ecclesiastes mentions earning our keep is from the LORD.

Stepping back, praying, and saying to myself, “Take a deep breath and work on these books as though you’re writing them for the Almighty, not only humans.”

While I want to avoid being overly preachy in how I do this, I will never be ashamed of the gospel of Christ and will have those themes as a core part of my being, because Christ has refreshed me in such a way that I would like for others to find that same refreshment, getting their new start in the kingdom of God on their own faith walks.

Every moment of the day is the perfect moment to refresh ourselves. Realign, adjust the compass, and what have you.

Don’t be afraid to let the Holy Spirit in, so your heart is healed, and your mind is clear.

But most of all, remember that times of refreshment, whether self-imposed or divine, ultimately come from the Father of Lights.