Refresh



            After several days of humid heat we were blessed this morning with a beautiful, sunshiny, dry, day and a touch of cool breezes; it brought an instant joy to my soul. Elsa and I got out early for our walk/jog and went twice as far as we have been able to the last few weeks. The breeze is so refreshing! I had a grin on my face throughout the walk.
            The Greek word πνεύμα (Pneuma) is translated to wind or Spirit. I was dwelling on this as I strolled along the path. It is quite appropriate that wind and spirit are interchangeable, we can see neither yet we can feel them both. The Spirit refreshes us daily in our walk with the Lord. The Spirit also gives us our voice to speak right words; the voice is produced by pushing air (wind) through the vocal cords.  Job 33:3-4 “My words come from an upright heart;
    my lips sincerely speak what I know. The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”  We have new life in Christ on a daily basis filled with new opportunities to share his love and encouragement. Refreshing!
 Another thing that reminds me of the Holy Spirit is the cleansing breath. You know that moment when you realize you have been shallow breathing and you inhale deeply and exhale with force? That is a cleansing breath and it can feel so good, you wonder if you’d been holding your breath. I believe the Holy Spirit is active in our cleansing as he convicts us to repent and turn from our sins. He is that voice in our head (some might compare him to Jiminy Cricket) that attempts to steer us in the right direction. When we confess our wrongs, we purge ourselves and trust God to forgive us and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Refreshing!
As you go through your day, be ‘a cool breeze’ to someone else, consider it as a means of paying it forward; share your joy and encouragement with another person. Refreshing!
Ephesians 4:29-32 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
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  1. harleyAugust 12, 2015 at 10:13 AM

    Today's blog led me to revisit "Hot Potato" which was posted on May 31, 2012. The wind cannot be seen, yet if it's strong enough it can be heard or it's effect can be felt or heard. There is also an awareness that the words "soul" and "sound" are alphabetically ordered with nothing other than soul derivatives in between. I'm reminded of a movie called "Brother of the Wind", which we watched as a family sometime shortly after it's release date of January 31, 1973. It was a good family movie about love and kindness toward nature and the varied life forms. My father did not like it because of the repeated references in support of evolution. Although I still enjoy the movie for its beauty and gentle nature, 42 years later I agree with him. Matthew 5:8 says: "The pure in heart will see God." What flesh and blood currently cannot see will be plainly visible when we attain the divine nature. 1 Cor. 15:49 and also at 1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face." And also at 2 Corinthians 4:18 where it says that we should be focused on what can only be discerned through the eyes of faith while we are still in a material body.

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