Times of Refreshing

By Andrea Merrell

Times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence.

Acts 3:19 TPT

It was a smoking-hot day at Dollywood, with temps in the mid-nineties. But just when we felt we could go no further, we happened upon one of their “misters,” a shelter with a continuous spray of water for people to rest and cool off. A time of refreshing.

We could have missed it. We could have walked on by. But we made the choice and took the time to take advantage of such a wonderful blessing.

In this hectic, fast-paced life, we all need those times of refreshing. God provides His own misters along our path, but we have to make the choice and take the time to enjoy them. The twenty-third Psalm tells us that our Shepherd will lead us beside still waters and cause us to lie down in green pastures in order to restore our soul. The Passion translation puts it this way:

The Lord is my best friend and my Shepherd.
I always have more than enough.
He offers a resting place for me in His luxurious love.
His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.
That’s where He restores and revives my life.

As we navigated our way through Dollywood, we came upon more of these misters. We stopped to enjoy each one. That’s the way our Shepherd wants us to live each day, taking time from the busyness to enjoy those places where we can rest in His love and peace.

As they say, stop and smell the roses. Rest. Enjoy the beauty around you. Allow God to restore and revive your soul.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and kobkik.)

TWEETABLE

Take time from the busyness of life for God to restore and revive your soul. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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Never Satisfied

By Andrea Merrell

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God?

Will the thing formed say to him who formed it,

"Why have you made me like this?"

Does not the potter have power over the clay,

from the same lump to make one vessel

for honor and another for dishonor:

Romans (:20-21 NKJV

We all know the Bible says “Judge not.” In other words, don’t put yourself in the position of judge over people, situations, and even yourself.

I’ve been guilty of all three, especially the latter. I’ve moaned and complained more times than I can count.

It seems we’re never satisfied. If we have curly hair, we’d prefer it to be straight. If we’re short, we want to be tall. If we’re musical, we’d rather be athletic—and vice versa.

It’s taken me a long time to realize that when we give God our laundry list of all the things we don’t like about ourselves, we dishonor the One who created us. The creation railing against the Creator. The sheep telling the Shepherd how to do his job. The clay instructing the potter.

God knew exactly what He was doing when He formed each of us in our mother’s womb. We are unique. Special. One of a kind. God breathed the breath of life into us with a plan and purpose that could be fulfilled by no one else. 

I’m not saying that I never complain anymore, but I’m certainly working on it. I love this quote by Barbara Walters that I read in a book many years ago: “I am who I am. I look like I look. I am my age.”

Wise words to live by. I think I’ll try it. How about you?

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)

TWEETABLE

Giving God our list of all the things we don’t like about ourselves dishonors our Creator. It’s the clay instructing the potter … the sheep telling the Shepherd how to do His job. Via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

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