A REFRESHED HEART? YES PLEASE

 

FEBRUARY 20, 2025

Psalm 139:23-24

23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!


Psalm 147:3

3He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.


Psalm 23:3

3He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake


Jeremiah 32:17

17‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.





The term ‘refresh’ assumes that a person was ‘fresh’ at some point. Refresh is a verb that means to restore something that has been lost or diminished. In this case, freshness. So, the first question we must ask is, does your spirit need to be refreshed?

I will take the risk of believing that for many, perhaps most, alright, probably all of us, we thirst for a refreshment of our spirit. So let us seek with faith and joy the refreshment that God so clearly desires for us.

Our verses above remind us of God’s “refreshing role”, “he restores our soul”, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”, He leads us “in the way everlasting”, and his ability to do this rests in who God is, the Creator for whom “nothing is too hard.”

If you are like me, you are likely in need of being refreshed. Life can be tough can't it? It's cares, stress, responsibilities, can drain us. I hear from many folk these days, that their spiritual supplies have been drained. There are many causes for this drained experience.

Grief, loss, fear and anxiety, busy lifestyle, family struggles, societal tensions, world unrest .... need I go on? While we might justify our depleted spirits, God's word reminds us that is not the way we are meant to live. 

So lets pray together today, as fellow believers for God’s promise of refreshing to fall on all of us. Let Jeremiah's words sink deep into our spirits today "Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you."


A PRAYER OF REFRESHMENT

God,

I want to step into all that You have for me with boldness and confidence. But if I’m being honest, I’m uncertain of what the future will hold—and that can feel unsettling.

Search me, God, and refresh my heart.

Right now, please help me to surrender my expectations, and transform my mind as I draw near to You.

Search me, God, and align my heart with Yours.

As I pursue the plans You have for me, let me remember what You’ve already helped me overcome. You have already made a way for me to know You. You have already made a way for me to experience eternal life with You. Nothing is too hard for You!

Search me, God, and heal my heart.

Whatever the future holds, I know You hold me. Nothing is impossible for You.

Restore me, God, and make me new.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.