God Restores Like Cool Wind on a Hot Day

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,” Acts 3:19 NKJV

After finishing up round 11 yesterday morning (out of 12) of the 4x4x48 event (aka the Goggins Challenge) that has become an annual 4th of July weekend charity event, I began to yearn longingly to be home in the coolness of the air conditioning. Not only had I already completed 44 miles over a period of 40-plus hours, but had done so in the intense heat and humidity of July (running four miles every four hours) on a hot high school track—all while camping on-site with my husband for the duration of the endurance run. To say I was being drained (as were the other participants) by the sultry conditions (and the sleep deprivation) would be an understatement. So you can imagine that my friends and I viewed what happened just minutes before it was time to set out for our final four-mile run, as a gift from God, Himself. As we prepared to start, we smiled as we felt a cool wind begin to blow and felt the refreshing of the gentle rain that soon accompanied it—wind and rain that cooled the air and stayed with us until every runner was done. Is God good or what? 

And, you know, when it comes to “times of refreshing” that come from the presence of the Lord, the Bible tells us that when a person repents of their sin and turns to God, they are converted into a new creation.  This conversion, according to the Amplified Bible, brings refreshing and restoration from the Lord that’s like “a cool wind on a hot day.” Think about it this way, sin not only drains us in the same way prolonged intense heat does, but it creates a chasm between us and God that leaves us wearied, depleted, lonely, worn-out, overheated, weak, and tired. The good part though is this… when we turn from our sin and run back to God, the Lord restores us like a cool wind on a hot day. 

So, if you’ve strayed from the course, and find that you’re exhausted and fatigued by the sin in your life, take heart my friend. The Lord blots out the sin of all those who turn to Him and bestows on them the times of refreshing they so desperately yearn for. Run to Him and be restored. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for promising to restore and refresh all those who turn to You. Lord, in a world filled with weary and worn-out people, help us to spread the message that there is hope for a new life in Jesus. Thank You for being the God who saves all those who call upon Him.  It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!