Category Archives: Refreshing

Abundance, Bible, End Times, Flowing, Holy Spirit, Messiah, Refreshing, Scripture, Water

LIVING WATER

ZECHARIAH 14:8

“And on that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.”

My wife and I are currently watching all the seasons of “Alone,” the survival reality show where participants are dropped in some remote location by themselves and have to live off the land. The one who stays the longest wins $500,000. The one thing they all have to find first is a source of drinking water. Water is critical for survival. Without it, they will only last a few days.

In today’s verse, we are told “…on that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem,…” Why is that? Both Joel 3 and Ezekiel 47 make reference to the water which will stream out of the temple. Of course, we know that water flows out of the Messiah and is representative of the Holy Spirit which will flow out of Him. It will never run dry. It will flow year round.

APPLICATION

Jesus explains this further in John 7:37-39. “37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”’ 39 But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

As believers, we have the Holy Spirit living within us. He will never leave us or forsake us. He only wants to be allowed to work in and through our lives. But the Holy Spirit is not a party crasher. He won’t force Himself on us. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6 who really has control of our lives. Verses 19-20 say this. “19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

If you want those “living waters” to flow through you, you have to yield to the Holy Spirit is in you. I desire that every day. Unfortunately, I do not yield as I should. I allow my old man to raise up from time to time. Would you pray for me to yield fully? I will pray the same for you.

“Drinking at the springs of living water, Happy now am I, my soul they satisfy; (Heritage Singers)

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Advice, Bible, Choices, Devil, Drought, Refreshing, Scripture

STAGGERING

AMOS 4:8

“‘So the people of two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink water, but would not be satisfied; yet you have not returned to Me,’ declares the LORD.”

I can relate to this verse a little. I remember working in the tobacco fields with my cousin when I was young. A tobacco field in South Georgia in July is deadly. I can recall a few times being so thirsty I literally staggered to the igloo for a drink. I was light-headed and weak. But how refreshing that water was.

The drought God put on Israel had the same effect. People had to travel to other places in an attempt to find water. But even there it wasn’t enough. You would think that would drive them to return to the Lord, but it didn’t. They didn’t seem to connect the dots.

APPLICATION

Listen up! When God allows trials in our lives, it is always to make us better. It is always to drive us closer to Him. He will allow hardships from time to time when He needs to refine us a little more. He has to knock off the rough edges. At least He does with me.

What does it take to get your attention? A sledge hammer? I hope not. That can get old. That can cause you to get bitter instead of better. Satan will whisper in your ear that God doesn’t care about you. Don’t believe it. God is just making you more like Him.

I have learned (once again, the hard way) to respond quicker. I need to repent quicker. I need to listen more. I need… You get the picture. I have to check myself every day. I can’t go one day without checking in with the Master to get my marching orders. If I don’t, I will go the wrong direction so fast. How about you?

I am thirsty, Lord. Will you send Your quenching rains to refresh my spirit?

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Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Blessing, Commands, Destruction, Direction, Drought, God's Will, Judgment, Obedience, Perseverance, Refreshing, Scripture

WET OR DRY

AMOS 4:7

“‘Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you while there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city, but on another city I would not send rain; one part would be rained on, while the part not rained on would dry up.’”

I can remember as a young boy one day when we had a strange rainstorm at my house. Our house set toward the back of a two acre lot. It was summer and so hot outside. A storm blew up, but then it happened. It rained like crazy in our front yard, but not a drop in the back yard. Really weird!

God is reminding Israel of His selective wet and dry choices. Withholding rain three months from harvest was devastating. The crops would not mature and there would be a crop failure. Drought was there in part of the country and not in others. God truly could control their very livelihoods with rain or no rain.

APPLICATION

Are you in a drought right now? Has your prayer life dried up? We can feel that way. Sometimes it feels like our prayers don’t get past the ceiling. Why is that? Usually, it’s because we have stopped spending time in His Word. We have stopped spending time in worship. We have lost our ability to communicate.

But all that’s an easy fix. Get in the Word. Get back in church. The internet will not meet your spiritual needs. You need other believers in your life. And then spend some concentrated, dedicated time with the Lord listening to what He wants to tell you.

My problem is I like to do a lot of talking during my prayer time. I need to listen more. I need to hear His voice. I can’t follow directions I never hear. I am committed to listening more. I want to hear those commands. His voice is always loving and draws me to His safe embrace. So, if you’re feeling dry, try getting wet.

Father, I praise You for sending Your rains in my life. Showers of blessing, showers of blessing I need.

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Advice, Bible, Blessing, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Goodness, Praise, Promises, Refreshing, Scripture

SATISFIED

JOEL 2:19

“The LORD will answer and say to His people, ‘Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them; and I will never again make you a disgrace among the nations.

Have you ever been real hungry? I have to admit, I have never really known hunger. I have been so blessed. Now, I have been hungry before. Don’t get me wrong. And I do love to eat. Sometimes certain foods just satisfy you. When you are craving that certain special food you like and you get it, you can be fully satisfied. Isn’t that a great feeling?

Joel is telling the people of Judah that the Lord wants to satisfy their hunger. He wants to restore them. That word “satisfy” in Hebrew carries the meaning of full, even full to excess. After a long period of drought and hunger, the Lord is going to restore them. Hallelujah! I am sure these were welcomed words from Joel to the people.

APPLICATION

What are you hungry for? I don’t mean food. I mean what is your soul craving? Is it peace? God can fill you up. How about rest? He’s got that too. In fact, whatever your soul is needing today the Lord can fill it. Just as the Lord told the people of Judah, He wants you to be satisfied in full. But you have to come to Him.

When we come to Him in full surrender, He meets our needs. There have been so many times in my life when our family had needs met that could only have been from the Lord. Those were the times we were walking with Him and obeying His Word. The Lord loves to bless us. Don’t you want that blessing?

I know I don’t deserve anything I have. Everything that has been given to me came from the Master’s hand. He gave it to me because He loves me. I am so grateful. I can never repay Him for all He has given me. But I can pass it on. I can share my blessings. Will you do the same?

I am satisfied with Jesus. Praise the Lord for all He has done.

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Accountability, Advice, Bible, Blessing, Cleansing, Commitment, Disciplemaking, Following, God's Will, Godliness, Holiness, Inspirational, Missionaries, Praise, Refreshing, Repentance, Scripture, Surrender

WHO KNOWS?

WHO KNOWS?

JOEL 2:14

“Who knows, He might turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him, resulting in a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God.”

Have you ever wondered if someone was going to do something? I have. I have spent a lot of time doing that. I waited and waited for something to happen, and it never does. Waiting on others can be very frustrating. Other times, the wait pays off. The thing you are waiting on happens. Then you forget about how long you waited.

Here in today’s verse, Joel brings that thought to us. If you read the previous verse, he is talking about God’s mercy and grace. Then he poses this thought. “Who knows, He might…” God’s actions towards Judah depends on their return to Him. Then He is able to do for them. He may even restore the grain and drink offerings to Himself that they have gone without for so long.

APPLICATION

It is the same for us, brothers and sisters. God wants to do so much for us. Do you believe that? He wants to bless us. He wants to “leave a blessing behind” for us. What do you need the Lord to do for you today? I bet there is something you have been praying for, maybe a for while. The thing required is your return to Him.

When we come to Him in complete surrender and put ourselves at the feet of the Master, He lifts us up. Many of us don’t like that picture – bowing before anyone. But pride and self-centeredness will not put us the place to receive those blessings from our Lord. He desires each of us to come to Him willingly and selfishly. That blesses His heart, and He releases His blessings in our lives.

I desire God’s blessings over His testings. Don’t you? I know living a godly and surrendered life is what He wants for me. I am willing to live that life because I know the result. I obey Him because I know He loves me and wants what is best for me. I don’t obey to get loved. I am already loved. He’s my father. He’s my Lord.

Lord, come to me with blessings as I serve You. I will return those blessings in the form of praise and worship to You.

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Bible, Blessing, Encouragement, Fellowship, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Refreshing, Scripture

REVIVED

HOSEA 14:7

“Those who live in his shadow will again raise grain, and they will blossom like the vine. His fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.”

Growing up in farm country, I have seen the results of droughts and floods. The crops the farmers grow are dependent on rainfall. Large farms may invest in irrigation systems, but even they are dependent on regular rainfall. I have seen corn fields begin to wither only to be revived again when they get enough rain. The refreshing rains keep the crops alive and thriving.

Hosea is comparing Israel to such a scene. He is referring to their revival as a nation once they return to God. Grain and wine were important to that culture. In fact, they were pretty dependent on them. So, those who heard this could relate to what Hosea was saying. God was going to bring the nation back from despair and bless them.

APPLICATION

Our spirits need reviving every so often. It’s easy to get caught up in the pressures of this world and lose sight of the promises of God. Don’t let the world control you. You, as a child of God, have the strength and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within you. You can stand tall as the corn and produce grapes like the vine. God wants you to walk confidently in this world.

To do that, you must stay close to the source of nourishment. You can’t survive the deserts of life without the Word. It’s refreshing truths can sustain you. Meditating and memorizing His Word can give you just what you need when you face those challenging times. There is no substitute for it. Let it pour over you.

I can’t imagine going a day without getting my “dose” of God’s Word. I’m not talking about picking up a devotional and reading it. I mean digging into a verse or two of Scripture and applying it to my life. That’s why I write this blog. I need to do this. I wake up each day knowing I have the privilege to do this. It gives me life. Will you join me?

Thank You, Lord, for giving me the water of the Word. It refreshes my soul each day.

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Abiding, Bible, Comfort, Disciplemaking, Flesh, Godliness, Holy Spirit, Intimacy, Prayer, Refreshing, Scripture, Witnessing

OUR SMELL

HOSEA 14:6

“His shoots will sprout, His majesty will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.”

I love the smell of the outdoors. That’s part of the reason I like to hunt and fish. Just being outdoors and inhaling the aromas that are out there is invigorating. Where I hunt here in Tennessee, there are a lot of pine trees. Their smell in the mornings is great. In fact, some hunters will break off limbs from the pine trees and rub it on their clothes to cover their human scent.

Hosea, in the last phrase of today’s verse, says Israel will have the fragrance of cedars. Now, he was not saying they would actually smell like that. He was saying Israel would put off a scent to draw others to God. I wonder how well they did that. What would others smell that would entice them to come to God?

APPLICATION

Our “odor” can affect someone’s decision to follow Christ. We don’t think about that very often, do we? I am not necessarily referring to our physical odor. However, it is hard to witness to someone if we smell like cigarettes or alcohol. I am referring more to our spiritual smell. You see, the closer we walk with Jesus, the more we smell like Him.

I have been in a room before with people who were smoking. When I came out of that room, I smelled just like them. You would have thought I was smoking as well. In the same way, when I spend more and more time in His Word and in prayer, I smell more like Him. The world’s scent is covered by the Holy Spirit. I, in a sense, have broken off the branches of holiness and rubbed them all over my body.

I like smelling like Jesus. There is no other scent that I would want. His is a sweet smell, an inviting smell. Others smell it and want what I have. That is so cool. But I have to stay in His presence to keep that scent. The second I walk away the world’s scent envelopes me. That is not a pleasant smell. I choose Jesus’ scent. How about you?

I want to smell like You, Lord. I want others to be drawn to You through Your scent on me.

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Accountability, Bible, Choices, Death, Encouragement, God's Will, Purity, Refreshing, Repentance, Sanctification, Scripture

DECAYING

HOSEA 14:1

“Return, Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your wrongdoing.”

Sometimes when I am in the woods hunting, I come across a dead animal. I always smell it before I see it. It’s hard to not smell it. When I find the carcass, it hardly recognizable. Often, I have to really look to figure out what it was. It has decayed to a point that you really don’t want to touch it or be near it.

Why do I bring that up? Because the Hebrew word for “stumbled” can also mean decayed. Israel has gone so far from God that they had that same stench. Their sins reeked. God was not pleased. Hosea is begging them to return. They can be salvaged if only…

APPLICATION

How are you smelling? I’m not asking if you deodorant is working. What I want to know is if your sins are stinking. All sin smells. Sorry, but that’s the truth. It may not smell to begin with, but it will. Left unconfessed, that sin will begin to turn rank in your life. The stench of sin in your life will begin to be noticed by others.

But praise be to God, there’s a remedy. Confess your sins. Be bathed in the blood of the Lamb. Get refreshed by His life-giving water. He will wash away all your sins. His blood works so much better than any household cleaner out there. If you are tired of smelling like sin, come to Him.

I don’t like the smell of sin. The more I spend time in the Word, the easier it is to smell sin. My nose can sniff it out. It’s like an early warning system to my soul. The Holy Spirit points out sin to me before I go there. Do I always listen? No, but when I don’t the Spirit won’t let me go until I confess it. I want to smell good, don’t you?

O God, cleanse me and purify me. I want to smell like Jesus.

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Abiding, Affection, Bible, Blessing, Cleansing, Comfort, Confession, Encouragement, Flesh, Gentleness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Joy, Life, Refreshing, Rejoicing, Salvation, Scripture

SPRING RAINS

HOSEA 6:3

“So let’s learn, let’s press on to know the LORD. His appearance is as sure as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, as the spring rain waters the earth.”

When I was a little boy, I loved to play in the rain. Now, I don’t mean the rains that came during the Winter. Those are terrible. It’s cold. You can’t enjoy the rain because you’re freezing. But in the Spring those rains are awesome. Growing up in Southwest Georgia, here in the U.S., Spring is normally pretty warm. So, Spring rains are welcomed.

Hosea describes the Lord like that. He says, “He will come to us like the rain, as the spring rain…” What does a Spring rain do? It refreshes the earth. It brings things back to life. Winter has caused everything to die back. But when those Spring rains begin, the new growth pops out. That’s what God does for us.

APPLICATION

Do you realize we can have the same effect on others? If we are living for Him, we can be like a refreshing Spring rain. The joy of Jesus should be all over us. People should see us and practically run to be near us. They should desire our presence. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Do you know someone you just love to be around because of their sweet spirit? That’s what I’m talking about.

Unfortunately, too many of us are “Negative Nancy” or “Troublesome Tom.” We exude negativity, and people avoid us. Isn’t that a shame? I have to admit that I have slipped into that character from time to time. When I do, the Holy Spirit convicts me. I truly want others to be drawn to the Jesus in me. I really want them to want to be around me and not avoid me.

Would you join me today in being more like Jesus, more like that Spring rain? Would you let the Holy Spirit show out in your life? All it takes is us dying to ourselves. We have to give up our fleshly desires and pursue the Spirit. He is waiting to show Himself. Ah…I can feel the rain now.

I love the feel of You working in and through me. Help me get out of the way, so You can be seen in me.

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