Times of Refreshing

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
Psalm 23:1-3

In some of my time with Jesus recently I have consistently been getting pictures of abundance, of nourishment, of refreshment. Some of this is likely due to having preached a message to our students at my church’s youth ministry about Psalm 23, helping them visualize sitting at a table with Jesus that is full of specific things that meet this criteria of nourishment and blessing. I found it odd that while this message was preached over a month ago, these images have still been on my mind.

I took to google and typed, “Refreshment in the Bible.”

Truly a great place to start if you are stuck.

Here are some of the verses that came up:

Proverbs 11:25 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Jeremiah 31:25 I will refresh (another translation says satisfy) the weary soul and every languishing soul I will replenish.

Isaiah 44:3-4 For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams.

And the one that really has stuck with me-

Acts 3:19-20 Repent therefore and turn back that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of God…

While repentance and refreshing seem to go hand in hand, this post might not be so much for the girl who needs to do some repenting and might be more for the gal who has repented and still hasn’t felt the freedom from doing so.

I wonder what it would be like if we actually expected things to be different after we submitted our sins to the Lord. If you aren’t sure what I mean by this, I mean simply by confessing to God where we have gone wrong, where we need forgiveness, and asking for help to move in freedom away from that sin. I have watched a lot of friends and even myself pray prayers of repentance and still feel shame afterward. I have watched women go earnestly to the Lord, bare their souls, and move on like nothing is different. I wonder if it is because we actually don’t believe that we are worthy to walk apart from shame.

If shame didn’t have a say today, the rest of this week, what might look different?

I started really asking Jesus to say more about the times of refreshing and just simply what I sensed Him returning back to me was this idea that I had done the repentance but didn’t think I deserved the refreshing.

The other beautiful thing He showed me: the things I was scared of, the things that have been painful to process, the emotions I am experiencing are actually not what He was referring to in the in picture of the table being “in the presence of my enemies.” He showed me that these aren’t the things hiding in the shadows ready to pounce. They are the things He has set on the table for my good, my refreshing, and nourishment.

He reminded me that in His word these verses about refreshment and nourishment are PROMISES. “I will” statements are promises in scripture that we can bank on. I felt like He was giving me permission to actually be free and not just walk on eggshells like I might be free. I sensed that He really wants us to enjoy the blessing of a lighter spirit, of the truth that He still deeply adores us on the other side of our mess ups, and that nothing [and HE SAYS NOTHING] could separate us from the warm love of the Father (Romans 8:38-39).

If you are reading this and thinking “ok Sarah but like how should I even go after this refreshing?” I have made a small list of resources and practices that might help you on your journey. This list is by no means exhaustive, my heart is that it would be helpful place to start and not overwhelming whatsoever. Take what’s helpful and leave the rest.

There is refreshment for your soul. It is so worth knowing the depth of His specific care for you. He wants this freedom and nourishment for you.

Read Psalm 23
Read Psalm 23 again and again until it sinks into your bones
Get a deeper understanding of the picture of refreshment found in that passage
Read this book as an invitation into knowing who God is as a good shepherd
Read this book as a deeper dive into God’s heart over you
Listen to this short playlist during a walk or to help start your quiet time
Open a prayer journal and ask God “what do you want me to know about this situation I am facing?” linger in His presence + expect Him to actually respond.
Write a list of things you would do if shame wasn’t a factor. Try to do one of those this week.
Set an alarm on your phone to go off on your way home from work with the label “daily gratitude.” Say out loud a few things you are grateful for. Try saying more the next day.
Before bed, ask God where He was during your day where you might have missed Him. Ask Him to fill in the gaps where the enemy tried to steal your attention away from noticing His blessing.