Observation: After healing a paralyzed man in the temple, Peter preaches to the people that this healing is in Jesus' name. He then calls the people to repent and turn back to God, so that "times of refreshing" can come.
Application: Times of refreshing sound pretty good right now. As Christmas approaches, I'm finding myself distracted, unfocused, trying to do too much and worry about even more. I'm looking forward to some family vacation time starting on Christmas day.
I wish our spirits were just like web browsers...just click on the little circular arrow, and we're refreshed. All the bugs and glitches go away, and we reload our page: we reset our lives.
But for people, it's not as simple as pushing a button. It's a continuous process, a repentance that happens every day, little by little, full of moments of clarity followed by moments of confusion. Those times of refreshing do come, just as Peter promised, but we can't make them happen. They come from God. The best we can do is be ready for them--be paying attention to the stirring of the Spirit--and not fight against them when they happen.
Prayer: God, thanks for times of refreshing. Help us be ready for them when they come, and to let go of all that would stop us from being refreshed by you. Amen.
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