As I write this, Cheryl and I are waiting for a flight home. This weekend we were privileged to lead the women of the Rocky Mountain District Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Retreat under a theme developed by Cheryl: “Blood and Water Flowed.”  We had a fantastic time and I hope the ladies in attendance did as well.

While we enjoyed doing this, we are both worn out right now. It is a joy for us to share and study God’s Word with others, but it is also physically draining when we are the main presenters. We are ready to return home for some rest and relaxation and recuperation.

A passage from God’s Word that occurred to me has the phrase “that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” God encourages us to rest, as He did in the commandment that tells us to Remember the Sabbath day. Jesus also gave the example of going off by Himself to pray.

I decided to look up the passage and see the context in which those words were written. Here it is:

Acts 3:19-20 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

While physical refreshment is good and necessary, what this passage describes is even more important and desirable – SPIRITUAL REFRESHMENT. When we repent and turn from our sins, trusting in what Jesus did for us through His life and death that paid for all sins, we have refreshment. We have the certainty of forgiveness now and forever, as well as the guarantee of eternal refreshment in the presence of our Lord because of what He did for us. That is a refreshing message.

By the time you read this, by God’s grace we will be home again and back to our regular day to day life, living the life God has called us to live in Christ. Hopefully there will be a time of physical refreshing before we set off on our next adventure and get worn out again!

But I am so grateful that God strengthens and sustains us with the guarantee of the spiritual refreshment we have in Christ.