Word of the Week - Be Refreshed
“The Lord is my Shepherd… He refreshes my soul….” – Psalm 23
I hope your summer is off to a great start! I am on family vacation this week enjoying time with my family and grandkids down at Dauphin Island, AL. I love summer and the opportunity to slow down and enjoy some of these special times with family and friends.
Our Need to Be Refreshed
The universal law of entropy is always at work in our world and lives, causing disorder, uncertainty, and fragmentation. It especially creeps in during seasons when we drift out of rhythm—like summer—making us more prone to apathy. So, how do we oppose this force and find refreshment in God? By connecting with Him through His Spirit. He is the God of Refreshing, Renewal, Redemption—He is the God of Re-everything! God designed us to need Him, so He alone can overcome the entropy of this world and bring us true refreshment.
Refresh Your Mind
Let’s be honest—our culture and the world’s patterns distort our thinking. We’re all susceptible to believing things that aren’t true or aligned with God’s Word. That’s why Romans 12:2 urges us to “not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” If we reject the world’s patterns and turn to God’s ways, He promises to renew our minds and align our thinking with Christ. Renewing our minds in Him gives us peace, hope, spiritual clarity, and a deeper purpose aligned with God’s will.
Refresh Your Strength
Similar to entropy, our physical and spiritual strength fades with time. Life wears us out. But 2 Corinthians 4:16 reminds us that while our bodies are wasting away, inwardly we’re being renewed daily. Isaiah 40:28-31 promises that those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength and soar like eagles. God is the only source of this renewing strength—“The joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Daily pursue Him, and He will empower you.
Refresh Your Soul
Our soul is the wellspring of life—where we dream, feel deeply, and long for meaning. Only God can truly fill that longing and make us whole in Christ. Psalm 23 paints a beautiful picture: “The Lord is my shepherd... He refreshes my soul.” He invites us to give Him our heart, let Him shepherd us, and drink from His living water. When we do, our souls overflow, and we can’t help but share His love with others. This is the abundant life Christ promised!
There is so much to love and enjoy about summer to include the fun travel adventures and slower pace, but let’s remember the ultimate source of refreshing is Jesus. I pray we will maintain our priorities of abiding in Jesus this summer so we will be refreshed as we enjoy this wonderful season remaining connected to the vine of Christ!
Challenge Question:
What’s one way you can intentionally seek refreshment in Christ today and pour that refreshment into someone else?