Refreshment

To refresh others means, “...to restore strength and animation to revive, to freshen up,
to renovate, to restore or maintain by renewing supply, to replenish, to run water over
or restore water to, or to update or renew.”

This verse carries the meaning of literally pouring into the life of another. My wife loves
flowers! So, I often drop by the store and pick her up a bouquet of flowers that she can
have at the house. Sometimes the flowers are not in a vase of water. When I bring those
flowers home to her, I lay them on the island in our kitchen. She does not just let them
remain there. If she did so, the flowers would eventually die. Instead, she will take the
time needed to clip the flowers to the right length she needs them to be for the vase. To
further care for the flowers and to extend their life expectancy, she will place the flowers
in a vase and then pour water over them to sustain the life of the flowers.

People are much like flowers! Many just stay on an island to themselves, especially,
when they are discouraged and going through a difficult time. So, you and I must take
the time to pour from our lives into theirs with words of encouragement and
refreshment. And when we do, God promises that we will be refreshed in return. 

“Encouragement is awesome. It (can) actually change the course of another person's day, week, or life.”~ Chuck Swindoll

Application Challenge → Ask the Lord to give you someone to encourage today!
When the opportunity arises, be faithful to offer words of refreshment and see if God
doesn’t encourage you as well.