THE REFRESHING

Greetings dry and thirsty friends. How do you quench your thirst.

I know that when I work out in my karate class...I am a mass of sweat. If you come up to me and slap me on my back...you would (1) knock me down and (2) get splashed with the residue sweat. After a strong workout...there is nothing quiet so good as a long drink of Power-Aid or water. I can almost feel the regenerating liquid course through my body... and restoring and refreshing me back to vitality.

In this world that we live and breath in...sometimes the things of life overwhelm us and depletes us from strength, vigor, vitality, and our potential. We need to be refreshed, renewed, revitalized, and rehydrated.

When you become dehydrated in the physical...and in the spiritual...you simply go through the motion of life. Purpose, drive, potential, motivation is either put on automatic pilot...or put in neutral.

Weather has been know to be a factor in our emotional state of being. Paul Williams song...recorded by The Carpenters (one of my favorite groups)...RAINY DAYS AND MONDAY'S...says it all...they always GET ME DOWN. We enter into a FUNK...that is not the upbeat sounds of FUNKY. We get the blues, the blahs, the pity party mindset, the why does everything happen to me mentality, the throw up the hands and why try syndrome.

What to do...what to do? Well...you can either lay around in depression... or you can press in to the Lord...and drink from the Latter Rains.

One of the first things to focus on...is that even in the dark...even with surrounding clouds...there is the sun. The sun will rise...the clouds will part. Shadows are overwhelming until you realize that the shadows...are only possible by the light.

"For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime...Weeping may endure/last for the moment/night...but a shout of joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

"You got to kick at the darkness...until it bleeds daylight." (Bruce Cockburn from Lovers In A Dangerous Time)

What kicked off this Rambling was watching and listening to Paul Clark and Phil Keaggy do a live version of a song from the 1974 album...COME INTO HIS PRESENCE...called Latter Rain. I started thinking of His Latter Rain (Reign) in these last days...and felt his refreshing, renewing, cleansing... washing over the dry, dusty, weary, parts of myself... and new strength and renewal being infused with my physical body...and my spirit (little s)...as the Holy Spirit (Big S) that dwells within my human spirit (little s) began to stir. We are encouraged not to QUENCH THE SPIRIT among other thing in I Thessalonians 5:19). In this passage (I Thessalonians 5:16-22) we are encouraged to: (1) Rejoice always (2) Pray without ceasing (3) In everything (good, bad and ugly) give thanks...for this (the giving of thanks in everything) is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (4) Do not quench the Spirit (5) Do not despise prophetic utterances (6) Examine everything carefully (7) Hold fast to that which is good (8) Abstain from every form of evil

It seems that when I am dehydrated...I tend to NOT do the things that I need to be doing that will rehydrate me. For example...if I am dehydrated...the answer is to QUENCH my thirst...by drinking in liquids. In the Spirit...we are called NOT to QUENCH the Spirit. Always be thirsty for the Spirit...and the things of God.

Paul encourages us in Galatians..."And let us NOT LOSE HEART in doing good, for in due time we shall reap IF we do not GROW WEARY." (Galatians 5:9)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death...I fear no evil...for Thou ART with me."
(Psalm 23:4)

NOTE: For those at Springhouse Worship and ART Center...this verse may be the stamp of approval on recapturing the ARTS...as Thou ART with me?!? That joke was a work of ART...hmmm...maybe ART should have left it alone.

Our Shepherd is the Shepherd of REFRESHING.


"They Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want...He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside, still/quiet waters. He restores my soul (mind, will, emotions, totality of who I am) He guides m in the paths of righteousness for His names sake." (Psalm 23:1-3) With this understanding of our Shepherd...we can walk in the shadows with confidence that we will come out the other side with oil anointed heads, cups running over, tables in the PRESENCE of our enemies...with (1) Goodness (2) Mercy/Lovingkindness following us all the days of our lives... and the understanding that we will DWELL in the house of the Lord forever.

NOTE: Actually...Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy will be following us...or should ART leave this one alone also? "Surely...goodness and mercy..."

FINAL THOUGHTS FINALLY

There is a way...to enter into REFRESHING...that also has "R's" in the words.

"REPENT...therefore and RETURN...that your sins may be wiped away...IN ORDER that times of REFRESHING my come...from THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD" (Acts 3:19)

Whenever I am overwhelmed by life...I tend to act as if GOD is either NOT THERE...or He is NOT BIG ENOUGH TO HANDLE MY PROBLEMS. I do need to REPENT (have a change of heart, change of mind, change of attitude, change of direction.)...and RETURN back to my FIRST LOVE...and do the things that I did when I first met Him. (Revelation 2:5)

The CAUSE AND EFFECT of this REPENTING AND RETURNING...is REFRESHING...because I have RETURNED to be in the PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love and Refreshed Kisses
Rodney "Repristinated" Boyd