Have you been watching the mercury soar? Looks like the “dog days of summer” are here — hot, muggy, stagnant, and stifling. Who has energy for anything?
Coca Cola used to market their drink as “the pause that refreshes!” But with heat like we’ve been having, what could be more refreshing than diving into one of these cool, mountain streams?
Interestingly, it’s not only our bodies that need refreshing. Sometimes our hearts need it, too. And God knows this about us, so part of His plan is to bring us into times of refreshing.1 It’s actually part of His character to refresh and renew. Listen to how He expresses His heart: “I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.” 2
So how exactly does God refresh us? Well, often it’s through another person. Like Philemon. Philemon was one of those cool, mountain stream types — he had a reputation for refreshing the hearts of God’s people.3 So much so that even Paul asked him for some of that refreshment: Please, Philemon, “refresh my heart in Christ.”4
Another refreshing guy (also with an odd-sounding name) was Onesiphorus. Paul said of him, “he often refreshed me.”5 And Paul rejoiced over three other friends because “they have refreshed my spirit.”6
Life being what it is, the probability is quite high that someone you know is going through some dog days of summer. Consider it nothing less than a divine appointment. You may well be the intended one to bring them into God’s “times of refreshing.”
Blessings on you as you refresh hearts!
~Paul
1 Acts 3:19
2 Jeremiah 31:25
3 Philemon 1:7
4 Philemon 1:20
5 2 Timothy 1:16
6 1 Corinthians 16:18