Has this ever been you?
You wake up early, peel back the covers, and sliding your feet into warm slippers, you put on your most comfortable robe. Grabbing that perfect cup of hot coffee or tea while nestling down into that old familiar chair that wraps itself around you, you grab your Bible and open it. But not necessarily because you want to, but because that’s what you’re supposed to do. Digging in, you attempt to focus on God’s Word, but your heart’s not in it, so you put it down and wait. And try to pray….
This was the beginning of my quiet time one morning this past week. No matter what I read, the passages of the Bible and the devotionals in front of me seemed stale and out of date with my soul. Prayer felt as if it were completely beyond reach. My heart felt old. And worn out.
I know I’m not the only one. Many years ago a former pastor admitted from the pulpit that there were times he didn’t want to be at church. He didn’t want to preach. And he certainly didn’t want to talk with anyone. For him, obedience won out. But for me on this particular day, it was at the bottom of my totem pole. So I did the one thing I knew to do. Sitting at the feet of Jesus, I talked openly with Him, surrendering my feelings while laying my sin down.
Confessing my lack of spiritual luster and fortitude, I asked Him to guide me to what He wanted me to read. When the word, refresh, popped in my mind, I searched on Biblegateway.com to see what I could find in Scripture. To my surprise, I found seventeen verses that contained some form of that word.
Here are a few ~
- It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:8 (ESV)
- The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the soul. Proverbs 15:30 (ESV)
- …that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus. Acts 3:20 (ESV)
- …so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. Romans 15:32 (ESV)
I was delighted because ~
- It never occurred to me that I needed to be refreshed. But we all do.
- It had never crossed my mind to ask the Lord to bring refreshment to me. But look at how Scripture talks about it.
- And to realize that asking Him was okay—well that was even more joyful news.
When I talk or text with family and friends, what comes through loud and clear is that most everyone is drained by the tumultuous uncertainty we live in. With social distancing and mask wearing that prohibits smiles from shining through, it’s no wonder we are feeling this way. But what I saw in Scripture is that ~
- God’s Presence will refresh us. (See Acts 3:20.) Ask the Lord, by His Holy Spirit, to guide you in what Scripture to read and meditate on. Ask Him to refresh you.
- We can refresh one another. (See Romans 15:32 and 1 Corinthians 16:18.) Ask the Lord to bring to mind those in your life that—even though you can’t see them in person—you can spend time on the phone with them.
- Know that the Lord will have mercy on you as you take some moments to go to someone who may be housebound by fear. (See 2 Timothy 1:16.) Send a gift. Bring a meal. Knock on the door, and stepping six feet back, wave hello. Let your eyes do the smiling.
God is sovereign. All that is happening worldwide is not catching Him by surprise. So take heart. Ask Him to give you the faith you need to face these times and ask Him for His strength to take Him at His Word.
My pastor, Ray McKelvy, taught in a recent sermon, that the Lord directed Israel—even though they were taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzer—to not only live life to the fullest, but to look forward to the day when they would be set free to live once again in Jerusalem. (See Jeremiah 29:4-7, 11-13.)
We as Christ followers, can carry that same hope and expectation. As we trust the Lord by living in His abundance of grace, we can fix our eyes Heavenward because Jesus is coming again! Hallelujah!
Until then,
Much love and blessings,
Kimberly
