As I sat outside on the back patio with my bible and my coffee (my two staples), I breathed in the cool air and thought, “what a refreshing morning!”  My bare feet were covered in a light blanket as the birds fluttered and chirped, welcoming the light of a new day.  The sun sparkled brightly across the dew-covered grass, and I smiled in disbelief at the thermometer which read a mere 62 degrees!  No, I am not on a mountain retreat in October.  This is the 9th day of July, the height of summer, in the South.  This is South Carolina, to be exact, where the temperatures have been in the mid-90’s for weeks; and the humidity keeps your skin damp and your hair frizzed.  I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against my chair, thanking God for this unexpected break in the heat wave; this sweet “time of refreshing”.

I thought about the woman who journeyed to the well hoping for a cool, refreshing drink of water in John, Chapter 4.  Yet there she met Jesus who told her of the “living water” that He offered, with which she would never thirst again.  He was of course referring to the Holy Spirit who comes to live inside of us when we give our lives to Christ.  That Holy Spirit literally flows throughout our entire being as a cool, refreshing river that never ends.  Just as our bodies crave that cool drink of water on a hot day, so should our souls crave that “refreshing” drink of the Holy Spirit.  

In Acts 3:19, Peter speaks of a time of spiritual refreshment that took place on the Day of Pentecost.   He exhorts his audience to repent and give their lives to Jesus so that “times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”

The words “cool” and “July” are oxymoron’s around these parts, and I am not likely to receive another miraculous refreshing as I did today anytime soon.  I can reenact my entire routine every day, but the heat and humidity will be back with a vengeance.  However, that spiritual refreshing comes from being in the “presence of the Lord”, and that is a place I can be every single day no matter what month is displayed on the calendar, or what temperature the thermometer climbs to.  His Holy Spirit dwells within me, and all I have to do is turn off the electronics and the noise, read His Holy Word, speak to Him in prayer or just lift His Name in praise and adoration.  There I shall bask in the refreshing “presence of the Lord”, more refreshing than a cool drink of water on the hottest day.  There is truly no place I would rather be.  “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”  (Psalm 42:1)

You too may have these “times of refreshing” frequently!  If you confess your sins and ask the Lord to forgive you, believe on Jesus Christ as your Savior and make Him Lord of your life, He WILL forgive you and send His Holy Spirit to dwell within you.  Seek to be in His presence every single day.  He is always available and ready to wrap you in His unfailing love, and saturate you with His perfect peace.  No matter how busy our schedules become, we must always make time to be in the Lord’s presence, for that’s where the “times of refreshing” come.

So let’s be about the Father’s business, shining the light and love of Jesus everywhere we go.  But take that time to get alone with Him.  Whatever you do, don’t forget the refreshments!