God is in the business of refreshing weary and tired souls and filling them with joy–His joy. Really. This was one of the key themes of which Jesus spoke. Can you receive His joy?
On one occasion Jesus took opportunity to share a message with a woman that would turn her sour disposition into one of great joy. “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14). A moment later He added, “the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Another time Jesus had been in the temple teaching. Many marveled at His wisdom, but criticized Him for confronting their hypocrisy. They didn’t love truth. Yet He knew that revealing truth brought liberty to people and glory to God. He, therefore, proclaimed a promise for those who would thirst for truth—the refreshing of the Holy Spirit. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).
RELEVANCE
Jesus spoke a lot on the subject of truth. Just before He was taken to be crucified, He revealed that the Holy Spirit would soon be poured out to guide believers in God’s truth: “when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
Sure enough, on the Day of Pentecost, His Spirit was poured out upon the disciples. Peter then revealed how believers would be immersed in the continuous refreshment of the new life in the Spirit. “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…”(Acts 3:19).
REFLECT AND RELATE
In a world that despises truth, God highly values it. It’s what sets people free and keeps them free and refreshed, even though the world will deny and disparage truth.
In what ways can you keep your heart guarded from the vain philosophies and falsehoods of the world?
REFERENCES
Psalm 25:1-22; 43:3; Proverbs 12:17; Isaiah 42:3; Colossians 2:8