Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38

GET FILLED. When we get dehydrated, we drink water. When our gas tank is empty, we fill it up. When we become spiritually drained, we can tap into God’s living water to drink and be refreshed. God wants to restore to you the joy of your salvation. Connect with God. Read God’s Word. Pray in the Name of Jesus (John 14:14) – and you will be revitalized.

Get rested up and ready to step into a new season of spending time with Jesus and growing closer to Him. Key Bible verses: Matthew 11:28-30; Galatians 6:9

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We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men . . . 1 Timothy 4:10b

1. REMEMBER YOUR CREATOR. When someone loses hope, it’s hard to move forward and grow. Life’s pressures can distract us from the sweetness of knowing Jesus. That’s why we must resist stagnancy by keeping our eyes on Jesus and remembering our Creator (Ecclesiastes 12:1). In the busyness of life, carve out moments to take a deep breath and remember God’s goodness, His power, and His daily presence. He has created you in Christ for good works! (Ephesians 2:10)

A stirring message about God’s power and faithfulness to see us through and bring us into a place of peace and rest. Key Bible Verses: Hebrews 4

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The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green. Psalm 92:12-14

v. re·fresh: To revive . . . give new vigor or spirit to. To give new freshness or brightness to; restore. To renew by stimulation, to fill up again; replenish. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition*

The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green. Psalm 92:12-14

v. re•fresh: To revive . . . give new vigor or spirit to. To give new freshness or brightness to; restore. To renew by stimulation, to fill up again; replenish. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition*

When I’m old I want to still be “full of sap and very green.” I want to be like Caleb, who said, “Now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in” (Joshua 14:10b-11).

Key Bible verses: Philemon 1:6-7; Proverbs 11:25 The Bible makes it clear that in Christ we are to be encouragers and carry refreshing to a dry and thirsty world. Pastor Jeff uses an episode in the life of King David to reveal key steps we must take before we can effectively refresh others.

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The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners.
Isaiah 61:1 NASB 1995

1. THE ANOINTING IS FOR YOU. An equipping from God called the anointing was on Jesus as He fulfilled this prophecy from the Old Testament (Luke 4:17-21). This anointing – empowerment and enablement – is available to us so that we can go and make a difference in the world. The anointing is not exclusive, elusive, or elitist. In the New Testament, Jesus established a new covenant, which the Bible calls "a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises" (Hebrews 8:6). Now, the anointing has become available for all!
 
2. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW ANOINTED YOU ARE?  "The yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing" (Isaiah 10:27b KJV). Dick Mills wrote about this in his devotional: "The thought expressed is that the Holy Spirit's empowering of our lives turns the dull, drab, routine existence into an invigorating, exciting, exhilarating experience." In a humble way, we must understand that God is deploying us in this world, and He wants signs and wonders to follow; He wants our prayers to work. God wants to connect broken, detached people to Him – and we are the bridge builders. 
 
Is this not the fast that I choose: To release the bonds of wickedness, To undo the ropes of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free, And break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6
 
3. THE ANOINTING SETS YOU AND OTHERS FREE. You and I can face the future with confidence, expecting that our circumstances are not going to keep us in bondage. The anointing of the Holy Spirit on our lives will not only break the yoke intended to keep us bound but will also enable us to reach out to others and break the yoke keeping them in personal subjection. The book of Psalms says that you and I will be anointed with fresh oil (92:10). God refreshes us so we can refresh others (Proverbs 11:25). He liberates us so we can liberate others. The yoke shall be destroyed because of the invigorating, refreshing anointing of the Holy Spirit. 

All the titles and all the sophisticated qualities that society deems valuable really don't matter. What counts is asking yourself: Am I flowing with God? Have I been born again? Have I embraced the fullness of His Spirit? Am I standing on His promises?

Press on,
Pastor Jeff Perry

PRAY THIS PRAYER:
I thank You, God, for Your anointing that breaks every bondage and yoke off of my life. I have the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. I will be called an oak of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that You may be glorified in Jesus’ name, amen (Isaiah 10:27; 61:3-4).

yoke, noun
An arched or curved device formerly laid upon the neck of a defeated person. An oppressive agency reducing to subjection, submission, humiliation, or servitude.

^{Copyright © 2024 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked "KJV" are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, Cambridge, 1769. Mills, Dick. The Spirit-Filled Believers Daily Devotional. Harrison House, Inc., 1990, p. 16. “yoke, N (1).” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, C. & G. Merriam CO., 1971, p. 2653.}

Steps to refreshing and strengthening your life with Jesus. Key Bible verses: Philippians 4; Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 6:33

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