Times of Refreshing
By Susan Klein
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,
that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
Acts 3:19
Have you ever felt like you were in a desert? Perhaps it was a spiritual desert. Maybe a hardened heart about an issue kept you from drawing near to God. You couldn’t be comforted by His voice because there was some sin forming a barrier between the two of you. Or, maybe it was a physical desert. You struggled with an illness or disease that you couldn’t find any purpose in, and felt God had left you out to dry. Perhaps it was an emotional desert, created by circumstances beyond your control that brought pain and anguish to your mind. Most of us have been in, or will experience, some sort of “desert” in our lifetime. By Susan Klein
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,
that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
Acts 3:19
I imagine this was true of the crowd of five thousand that followed Jesus to his solitary place in Matthew 14. They all had their personal deserts from which they wanted to escape: their sins, pains and burdens. They left towns and villages to follow this man whom they believed could provide some relief for their parched souls and weary hearts. They needed a time of refreshing, and Jesus, tired and spent Himself, was not about to deny them this privilege!
His disciples could see how much He needed rest, so they encouraged Him to send the people away. He could very easily have asked them to come back the next day, but He cared too much about their immediate needs to turn them away. Besides, it was getting late in the day and they had traveled far just to be with Him. He asked them to sit in the cool grass and get comfortable. He knew they were hungry, both spiritually and physically, so He spoke soothing words for their parched souls, and fed them fresh bread and fish for their hungry stomachs. I can just imagine the cares being let go of, the burdens falling from shoulders, and the outpouring of repentance as thousands experienced this wonderful time of refreshing in a peaceful and solitary place with Jesus. What a glorious place to be!
Jesus loves you and me the same as He loved these dear children of God. He wants to provide times of refreshing for your soul and peace for your mind when you are weary. Will you walk away from your problems for a time, meet Him in a quiet place, and let Him feed you?
GOING DEEPER:
1. What sin do you need to confess, or problem do you need to lay at Jesus’ feet so that you can be refreshed? Are you willing to set aside some time to sit and be with Him?
FURTHER READING:
Deuteronomy 32:1-2; Psalm 34:8; 72:4-6; Hosea 6:3
Susan is a wife and mother of two. She is the Coordinator of Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study and one of its teachers.
