times of refreshing

Relationships are hard. Even our closest ones have their ups and downs, and then we go through what I call the post-disagreement hangover, where both of you nurse your hurt feelings and tread carefully around the other for a couple hours or maybe a day. Significant relational breaches may require several days, or even a lifetime of atonement, to rebuild trust.

Thank God - literally - that the most precious relationship we have isn’t like that. Despite our hostility toward God and refusal to do what he wants, all we have to do is want the relationship. 

In Acts 3, Peter explains to a group of people that the man they persecuted and crucified was God’s son. And then he told them this, in verses17-20: “‘Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.’”

Isn’t it amazing that even after the murder of his son, all God wanted was for the people to be sorry for their sins? That the only thing he required was that they repent and turn back to him? Do that, Peter says, and you sins will be wiped out - gone, as if they’d never happened. You’ll be free of the guilt, with no need to try to work through the paybacks before you can enjoy each other’s company again.

More than that, Peter says God wants to do something else for us. He wants to recharge our batteries; God will send times of refreshing. God knows our lives intimately, and he knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows that even the good things in life can take their toll. We spend ourselves on our jobs and our church work and our families, and then on top of it life hits us with stuff we just have to gut through. When we use ourselves up, God will be there to pour back into us everything we poured out for other people. 

Freedom from guilt and a never-ending source of rest and energy to do good. That’s a lot from a relationship, but Peter noted a third thing. There’s this little detail of Jesus, the Messiah, Lord of our life now and the Redeemer who paid for it all and who will return for us all.

It hardly seems possible, does it. For such a little bit from us - say we’re sorry and mean in - God wipes out all our sin and guilt and refreshes us as fast as life takes it out of us.That’s the earthly reality of living as saved followers of Jesus.