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Be Refreshed
Article Summary
We've all had the experience of walking a lot and getting tired. And whether it's a long day at the amusement park or the mandatory water break in a sport, we need to drink water to be refreshed. But how are we refreshed when we become spiritually fatigued? Jesus presents Himself in Psalm 1:3 as a stream of water which nourishes and refreshes the thriving tree. The personal spiritual disciplines of our faith are like water to a parched soul. We need to drink deeply of God's presence in worship, His love from His community, and His truth and guidance through His word and His Spirit. To thrive in Christ, we must be refreshed through personal discipline and devotion to His ways.
We've all had the experience of walking a lot and getting tired. And whether it's a long day at the amusement park or the mandatory water break in a sport, we need to drink water to be refreshed. But how are we refreshed when we become spiritually fatigued? Jesus presents Himself in Psalm 1:3 as a stream of water which nourishes and refreshes the thriving tree. The personal spiritual disciplines of our faith are like water to a parched soul. We need to drink deeply of God's presence in worship, His love from His community, and His truth and guidance through His word and His Spirit. To thrive in Christ, we must be refreshed through personal discipline and devotion to His ways.
Be Refreshed
Okay, have you ever heard your mom say this as you’re walking out the door, “Do you have your water bottle?” It seems to me that today moms are much more concerned about their kids’ water consumption than I remember from when I was a kid.
Okay, have you ever heard your mom say this as you’re walking out the door, “Do you have your water bottle?” It seems to me that today moms are much more concerned about their kids’ water consumption than I remember from when I was a kid.
I don’t remember having a water bottle…EVER! I don’t remember anyone outside of a coach or science teacher even mentioning that I should drink water.
When bottles of water started being sold in gas stations, I, and every other person alive, thought, “That’s so stupid, who would ever buy a bottle of water.” Now Berg will sell you water from icebergs for $17 a bottle. Are we certain we’re not being taken for a ride?
Why are Stanley cups so expensive? How in the world are they better than YETI cups in any truly significant way?
I’m not even going to mention ice, because there are crazy people out there who will lose their minds. Okay, well maybe I’ll just list the different kinds of ice: the classic cube, crushed, shaved, chip, hospital, flake, balls, crescent, block, and of course, Chick-fil-A ice, to name a few. And it seems to matter. Isn’t ice just frozen water though?
Has anyone ever said this to you, “You can go forty days without food, but you can only go three days without water before you die!” Well, that’s true, at least as a general rule. But do we really need someone to tell us this? I’m pretty sure we’re all going to take a sip of something before it ever gets to that.
Being thirsty is terrible. Our bodies scream out for something to drink long before we’re in any kind of serious trouble. Also, we can never stop drinking water. You can chug a gallon of it and still be thirsty again in a few hours.
Water is refreshing, but only temporarily.
This is how Jesus captured the attention of the woman at the well in John 4. It was hot, she’d walked a long way, and she was thirsty, so was Jesus. He asked her to give Him a little of that refreshingly all-natural, mineral-rich, Samaria well water. In return, He offered her a chance to never thirst again by offering her living water. She got it and ran off to tell everyone about it. (Check out the story in John 4:5-30 – more on this next week.)
Psalm 63:1 says, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.”
Does your soul thirst for God? Or are you content to chase after the things that will only give you temporary relief? Men and women are created in His image, and He has put a longing in our souls to connect with Him. Through Jesus our souls can be eternally refreshed.
It doesn’t really matter what kind of water you drink, or what kind of bottle you drink it from. It doesn’t matter what kind of ice you use or if you prefer ‘room temperature.’ It doesn’t matter if your water is fortified with minerals or infused with fruit, or whether it’s sparkling, tap, or imported from the nearest iceberg. To refresh your thirsty body, you need to drink water, and then you’ll need to drink water again, and again, and again.
But to refresh your soul-thirst for God you need to be planted by streams of living water. Then, like the woman at the well, when you get this truth, you won’t be able to help telling everyone about it.
Come to Jesus and be refreshed.
Westminster Christian School, located in Palmetto Bay, Florida, is a private, college-preparatory school for children from preschool through twelfth grade.