Seasons of Refreshing

Seasons of refreshing, the hunger for spiritual renewal is our focus as we learn how to develop a closer, more intimate relationship with the LORD Jesus Christ. Seasons of refreshing are described in Acts 3:19, where the apostle Peter states, “Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Seasons of refreshing consist of those times of spiritual renewal or personal revival...a returning to our first love, Jesus Christ.

To use the word “return” implies that we have left someone or something. Perhaps it is not a question of leaving so much as it is a question of “neglection.” We often become preoccupied with the tyranny of the urgent and neglect the important. Sometimes we neglect our spouse, our children, our friends, but most of the time we neglect our relationship with the LORD. We may “do” devotions, or go to a Bible study in order to “maintain” our relationship with God...but maintenance is not growth!  Lou Holtz, the former head coach of the Notre Dame Football team, in a speech in South Bend, Indiana commented on why he left the University. "I wasn't tired of coaching,” he said, “I was tired of maintaining.” (1)  This same difficulty happens in our relationship with God. We try “maintaining” instead of growing, and the result is sliding backwards. The purpose of this book is to renew or return to times of intimacy with our LORD and to experience continual seasons of refreshing from His presence.

The Apostle Paul commands us in Ephesians 5:18 to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a moment-by-moment walk...a surrendering to His power and control over our lives. It is a yielding to His Lordship, literally a “dying of self.”  When we take control over our own lives and walk according to the flesh, we walk contrary to God’s will. We desire God's presence and power within and want to live a life pleasing to Him; yet, the practice is not always there. There is the constant struggle with the flesh and many times, the flesh wins! The reason why the flesh wins out over the Spirit is that we desire it to. We choose to sin and walk contrary to God’s Word, and then wonder why God's presence and power is lacking within our lives, our church body, and literally our nation.

We have attended seminars, conferences, special meetings, and revival crusades in order to have a closer walk with God. Then, after a few days, we return to the same lifestyle that we had before the meetings.  This, Peter likens to a dog returning to his vomit or to a sow, once washed, returning to the mire. (2) Sounds disgusting, however, this illustration God wants to plant within our thoughts, so we will not return to the same lifestyle we were delivered.

Apathy is a killer of all growing businesses. It is also the silent killer of many relationships; whether this being marriages, a growing church body, or an individual believer. Apathy can creep into one’s life quietly and be unnoticed for years. It is a loss of desire for the things of God, a developing of a cold and distant heart. It presents itself in prayerlessness, in ignoring God's Word, in rejection of fellowship with other believers, and in a lifestyle that leads to emptiness and frustration with life. God has put within each of us a God-shaped vacuum only He can fill. We can try to fill that vacuum with things, a career, money, job status, etc., but they will never satisfy. God desires an intimate relationship with us because He loves us and longs for our fellowship. He desires to fill us with His presence and to grant seasons of refreshing if we will return to Him.