01 - Staying Spiritually Refreshed

In this series I am going to look at 11 different problems and potential pot holes which can hinder us from being spiritually fresh. I am grateful to Pastor Mike Love who gave the talk on which the structure of this series is based. Being 'fresh' in this sense is essentially maintaining a relationship with God which is meaningful and relevant each and everyday. We must learn not rely on the past experiences to fuel our spiritual life but instead earnestly should seek the Lord every waking moment in life...Indeed let us learn to be like the Psalmist who proclaims, 'I have set the Lord always before me' (Psalm 16:5). This is the essence of what it means to remain spiritually fresh, making a concious decision to set the Lord before you at ALL times.

The first pot hole therefore, is that of giftedness. This is where we rely on our own strength more than we rely on God. The person who has fallen into this pot hole is the one who has increased the position of man, and decreased the position of God, in their lives. They have lost the sense of 'bigness' which God commands at all times. We must remember that God gives us all things, everything we have comes from God. Oswald Chambers boldly states 'Not enough people are aware of the knowledge of the own destitution and need of God.'Indeed Psalm 105:4 usefully comments 'Search for the Lord and his strength; continually seek him.' We should seek his strength and not rely on our own. The writer of Psalm 121:1 has captured this idea, he says 'I look up to mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.'

Psalm 130:5 - 6 goes on to say...'I am counting on the Lord, yes I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in his Word. I long for the Lord more than the sentries long for the dawn.' What an amazing statement we have here; the Psalmist declares his utter dependance and reliance on God; he is counting on Him. He recognises that if God does not show up and follow through on what he has promised, surely he will fail. Without God he is nothing. For this reason he relies on the promises in his Word and seeks him with all his heart.

Take a moment to identify that areas in your life where God has gifted you... Are you truly counting on God? Do you thank God for the gifts he has given you, recognising that without his continued blessing and life giving sustenance, surely everything we have will fall away and crumble?