Do you have a favorite refreshment on a warm spring or summer day? A glass of iced tea, maybe? A dip in the pool? A front-porch swing?

I like to walk under the oak trees in our yard and close my eyes against the wind—to leave technology behind and pause to listen to nature’s symphony.

Our closest neighbors are whippoorwills, tree frogs, cardinals and crickets. Their conversations are fascinating. 

Throw in a Diet Dr. Pepper and call it joy. 

But as wonderful as these moments are, they are temporary at best. They provide a small measure of relief from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

For authentic, deep, and abiding soul refreshment, there’s only one place to retreat:

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple (Psalm 19:7).

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
    he refreshes my soul (Psalm 23:1-3).

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).

Is there anything more beautiful? “Times of refreshing” will come—when we take God at His Word. When we dive deep into His precepts and promises. When we immerse ourselves in His faithfulness.

Dangling our feet in a pool of water is nice. But there’s nothing like going all-in—to shriek like a kid and nail a high-dive cannonball in complete self-abandonment.

Our Lord is waiting with a you’re-gonna-love-this smile, so don’t hold back.

Take a running start and leap into His Word.

Be refreshed!