Corona Devo 380

I am grateful to have a bouquet of fresh flowers on our table.  They have been brightening my day and mood for days.  Just looking at them or catching a whiff of their light-sweet-scent alters my attitude for the better.

But when I wasn't looking, time passed and so did their water supply, and as I walked past the vase yesterday, rubbery stems hung hunched-over with worn-blooms that threatened to close all-together.  They were wilting and looked sad and worn out.  They needed revived.  

Boy, can I relate.  

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for Christ and life one moment, and then when I am not looking, I get caught up in the rat-race, the rush, the troubles and the concerns-of-the-world, and when I am focused on all of that, I am distracted from focusing on Christ.  And I wilt.  My mood, my thoughts, my words and my body become like a rubbery stem hunched-over with worn-blooms that threaten to close all-together.  I get wilty, sad and worn out.  I need revived.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. ~Psalm 19:7

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved! ~Psalm 80:19

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? ~Psalm 85:6

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” ~Isaiah 57:15

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. ~James 4:8

I watered the wilty flowers the night that I found them drooping and in the morning they stood at attention once again, erect and strong; beautiful and revived.  

Where does our hope/revival/refreshment come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2).  

I have experienced the revival of my droopy, overwhelmed, wilting spirit if I will just step away and sit with Jesus and His Word.  The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul... ~Psalm 19:7

There are many scriptures alluding to the ways that He restores us, and all of them are proof that He does revive the wilting soul.  He revives you and me.  

Not once, or twice, thank goodness.  He knows that we are prone to running low on spiritual fuel and running ourselves into the ground.  But God's word revives us.  Time spent alone with Him refreshes and causes a change within our hearts.  He alters our situation, our reception of it, and our perception of it.  God and His word straighten us up and out.

Revive us today, Lord.

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? ~Psalm 85:6

When I am wilting, I feel the separation from Jesus, and like the dry-bouquet, I feel the threat of my spiritual blooms closing all-together.  

But God does not just live "in the high and holy place" (Isaiah 57:15), He lives within us too!  And He is the refreshment to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).

The built-in dependence that a flower has for water is the built-in spiritual dependence we require from God.  

Be refreshed this day by God and His word, so that we can stand at spiritual attention once again, erect and strong; beautiful and revived.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com