Times of Refreshing

 

We took a trip to Austin last week. The day we arrived, the temperature got up to 103 degrees. We spent a fair amount of time outside so we had enough of the heat by the end of the day. We were glad to see that our hotel had an outdoor swimming pool. We got in the pool and it was so refreshing to feel the cool of the water! We felt revived by the time we got out.

 

In Acts, we read that Peter preached to the crowd, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).  Peter’s words apply equally to us today. The call to repent may invoke a negative response in us but it’s really a positive experience. When we come to God seeking forgiveness, we too can experience times of refreshing, where our spirit is revived and infused with new energy, purpose, and joy. This isn’t a once in a lifetime experience, but one that can be ours whenever we turn to God for forgiveness. It’s a foretaste of our arrival in heaven, when our time of refreshing will be complete and forever.

 

Let us heed the call of Jesus, our Savior, who says, “ I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an E-book through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.