TIMES OF REFRESHING - A Biblical look at Entering God's Rest

Acts 3:19 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,

The times of refreshing points to an experience that comes from God. The Greek word anapsuxeos means a cooling or a refreshing. It means rest.

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Yet God is calling. He wants us to lay our anxieties, cares and burdens on Him.
 
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Is your picture of God's heart towards us one of constant care and love? Or are you like a little band of disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee?

Mark 4:37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.  


If we understand that God is over every circumstance in our lives then we must know His heart is good toward us in order to interpret our circumstances rightly. We all have faith of one kind or another but the disciples had no faith in God's care for them or Jesus’ power. They had faith in the things they knew about - wind, waves and boats.

Isaiah 32:1  
Behold, a king will reign righteously  
And princes will rule justly. 
2 Each will be like a refuge from the wind
And a shelter from the storm,
Like streams of water in a dry country,
Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land.
 
Jesus' knowledge of wind, waves and boats did not cause him anxiety. He was in the place of refreshment in the middle of what drove others to great fear. Jesus was able to sleep in the midst of the storm because He knew who God was and he knew who he was. This was because he knew what Isaiah foresaw. He was the king who rules in righteousness He was the man who was the hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest. He himself is the river of water in the dry place he is the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

We too can enter into this great place of refreshment and rest but first we must be convinced that it is for us.
 
HINDRANCES TO FIND REST AND REFRESHMENT
 
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS"; 5 and again in this passage, "THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST." 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

There are many things that keep people from entering into the rest of God. Two are found in this passage. These impact today as much as they did those to whom the letter to the Hebrews was written. These two hindrances are

1. Unbelief
2. Disobedience.

The Israelites failed to obey because they did not believe. The two go together like a hand and a glove. One without the other is not real. If the Israelites had truly believed that God was with them and would bring them into rest no matter what they saw they would have obeyed when God spoke.

THE CARES AND CRAVINGS OF THE WORLD
 
A third hindrance to rest is the cares and cravings of the world.
 
Mark 4:18 "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

WRONG PRIORITIES
 
Many times we fail to come into the refreshment God has for us because our priorities are not right.
 
Luke 10:38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

WOUNDS OF OTHERS

This particular hindrance is one of the hardest to deal with since the internal heart of a person has been damaged concerning the image of God. We who are more whole must make it one of our goals to help along those who are wounded.

Luke 10:33 "But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 "On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.' 36 "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" 37 And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."

A LACK OF PRAYER - A LACK OF THANKSGIVING
 
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

ENTERING INTO GOD'S REST

Hebrews 4:9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

TAKE A DAY OF REST
 
Exodus 23:12 "Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.

ENTER INTO GOD'S PRESENCE
 
Exodus 33:14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

LOOK TO GOD TO REFRESH YOU IN TIMES OF STRUGGLE

Jeremiah 31:25 "For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes."

WAITING ON GOD - A SHORT COURSE ON FLYING
 
Isaiah 40:30
Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

For those who learn to wait on God three things shall happen - they will fly, they will run and they will walk, with refreshment in all of them.

FASTING
 
Isaiah 58:6
"Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
7 "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 "Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am '

REFRESH OTHERS
 
Proverbs 11:25
A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

BE A FAITHFUL MESSENGER OF THE GOOD NEWS

Proverbs 25:13
Like the coolness of snow at harvest time
is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

PRAYING FOR OTHERS

Romans 15:30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.

LETTING OTHERS BE USED OF GOD IN OUR LIVES
 
I Corinthians 16:17 I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. 18 For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.

II Corinthians 7:13 By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

II Timothy 1:16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.

Philemon 1:7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.