Philippians 1:5-6 (NKJV)
5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
God wants to complete a work in us. In order for Him to do this we must keep fellowship not only with the gospel itself but in the gospel too. We need friends in the gospel that will pray for us and encourage us on our journey.
Romans 15:32
that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you
Sometimes we need to take a break from our assignment and return to our friends to be refreshed together. Here the author was tired and was asking his people to pray for his return to them to leave the unbelievers because it was draining his spirit. He needed a refreshing!
1 Corinthians 16:18
For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.
Sometimes God will send people to where you are at in order to bring you a refreshing. When God sends his messengers, He wants us to place honor on them realizing the value of the refreshing that they bring.
Psalm 63:1-3 (NKJV)
Joy in the Fellowship of God
A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
63 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
When we feel dry. We must seek the Lord. There is joy in His fellowship and those who are thirsty, He will satisfy. It is important to remember God and praise Him. He will be sure to release His lovingkindness, power, and glory.
1 Samuel 16:23
And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.
We can’t forsake the importance of worship. Worship brings intimacy, deliverance, and refreshing. If we get too busy in works without taking the proper time to worship, we will surely find ourselves weary.
Acts 3:19
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
We have to actively evaluate our motives and our heart condition. We must let God search our hearts, expose our flesh, and bring conviction. When we repent, God’s presence comes and brings refreshing.
Judges 19:5
Then it came to pass on the fourth day that they arose early in the morning, and he stood to depart; but the young woman’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.”
We can’t forget to take care of our physical bodies either. Sometimes we get so busy that we forget to eat properly. When we do it, we often do it alone. Here it says that eating/breaking bread together will refresh our hearts.
It is important to remember Who we are doing it all for anyway. God’s glory should be at the center. We sometimes lose focus because of our tiredness and forget that we are not in it for ourselves. God wants us to fulfill our purpose to make His name great. It’s not about us!
Proverbs 11:25
The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.
God promises that He will water us if we generously water others. He says that our souls will be made rich! So I want to encourage you today that your work is not in vain. There is a great reward for your faithfulness and God wants to refresh You in His presence. Come to Him today and ask what is hindering your refreshing. Not only will He show You, but He will be faithful in fulfilling what He has promised! God is with you and for you. Don’t give up. Times of refreshing are being released!
Father, we thank You that You never leave us. Forgive us for sometimes feeling empty and too tired to finish the work that You have called us to. Show us how to stay refreshed in Your presence. Give us balance and the joy of fellowship with people who will pray and be an encouragement to our souls. Help us find time for worship that brings us into intimacy with You. Let us remember to praise You in ever season. Let the joy of the Lord be our strength. Help us be open to receive refreshing when you send it and also know when it’s time to step away to receive it. We want to be finishers that make Your name great and give You glory in everything that we do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!