Seasons of Refreshing

Scripture:  I Thess. 5:23-24 - Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Transitions are productive in a myriad of ways because they: establish new relationships; offer freedom from past bondage; grant a new or renewed vision for ministry; energize a pursuit for new possibilities; and present a revitalized level of excitement about your walk with the Lord.  “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”  (Isaiah 42:9)

Seasons of refreshing stimulate a desire to worship Christ with a new perspective of His love.  There should also be an internal heart’s desire to resemble Him in character and conduct.  The respected nineteenth century Anglican archbishop, William Temple, said, “For to worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open up the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God.”  

Here are some ways to experience splashes of encouragement during a season of refreshing: (1) Invest in a new friendship; (2) Maintain a Jesus and Me time; (3) Exercise! (4) Reinforce your commitment to a church-related ministry by cultivating a servant-oriented attitude; (5) Rekindle a past relationship; watch it mature to a place of forgiveness, healing and restoration; (6) Stop PROCRASTINATING! God has given you assignments; complete them; (7) Venture outside of your comfort zone; and (8) Embrace God-given opportunities. Celebrate!  New adventures are on your horizon.

Prayer:  Lord, transitions are not always easy, but they are necessary. May my heart become excited about the new things that You have planned for me, because it is always for my good and Your glory.

(by Cheryl Torain)