“Repent, then, and turn to God, that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19 (NIV)
There’s something exhilarating about walking outside and sensing a change in the weather – a sudden cool breeze, the smell of fresh rain on parched earth. Before the refreshing rains come, the wind blows and clouds gather, bringing a kind of excitement mixed with trepidation. It’s been dry for so long, what will this blessed storm mean to us? Will our thirst be sated and our crops nourished? Or will lightning bolts and thunder claps make us cringe with fear?
God’s rain is coming – in fact, it’s just on the horizon. But the cleansing, quenching storm of the Spirit is always preceded by change. It’s called repentance. Turning from the wilderness of sin to the oasis of righteousness. Turning from the dry desert of your own will and your own ways to face the holy rains of God. It’s when you admit to God, “I’m wrong, You’re right – I need You.” No sooner prayed or thought or spoken, than the Spirit of God begins to pour into your thirsty soul His blessed forgiveness, His help and healing – His grace.
The Refreshing of God is here. Are you running away from the Spirit’s storm, afraid of the change it requires? Or have you stopped and turned, ready to be drenched and to drink it in?
T.B.
Think about it: What might there be in my life that is obstructing God’s Spirit from giving me His refreshing presence?
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