In the sermon for this morning, we shall be taking a closer look at what happens when God's season of refreshing comes to a child of God. But before we dive deeper, I want to quickly explain to us what circumstances provoke the seasons of refreshing from the Lord. I would like to take us through the story of David right from the moment of his victory over Goliath to the time he finally ascended the throne. Sometimes in life, we are meant to go through a rough and stubborn situation such that as a believer, you will be wondering if God is ever with you. The more glorious your glory will be, the more stubborn and rough will your situation be as a child of God.
The Word of God in Romans 8:18 according to the message bible translation. "It says that why we don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times". If there are no season(s) of hardship, tribulation, failure etc.; there can't be season(s) of refreshing, peace, success etc. for a child of God. If gold is not expose to a fire, the gold can never become a valuable gold that human beings will like to have in their possession. David was just a teenage boy minding his father's flock when all his siblings were at the war front. The day God wanted to showcase what He had deposited inside of him, which will surpass generations to come, God exposed him briefly to Goliath of Gath on the battle field. The day David recorded victory on the battlefield mark the beginning of his stubborn situations in the hand of King Saul.
In that brief moment of joy of killing Goliath and becoming so close to the royal sons and daughters as well as becoming King Saul’s son in-law, he would have thought in his heart that he had arrived, not knowing that will be the beginning of him passing through the fire of afflictions according to " Isaiah 48:10.
We will now look at three of David's fire of afflictions.
1. He (David) now saw himself as a fugitive running for his life from King Saul who wants him dead by all available means. Despite being anointed by God to be king in Israel, he had to escape to cave Adullam with his family. Here we can see a potential king now became the head of captain to four hundred irresponsible men according to 1 Samuel 22: 1-2.
2. He (David) had few death misses in the hands of King Saul. Just when David thought he had rest in Keilah that his enemy (King Saul) sought to kill him according to 1 Samuel 23:7-8. But in verse 13, we were told that David ran for his life with his men and live from one wilderness to another.
3. He (David) saw himself begging for food from the hand of Nabal according to 1 Samuel 25: 4-12. A Potential king that was supposed to be in possession of abundance and begging for food to sustain him. "I pray for you that where people have mocked you or spoken ridiculous word behind your back, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel celebrate you in Jesus Name”. Amen!
By the time God is ready to finally establish the throne of David according to Psalm 18:43 that He made all his enemies to be silenced forever and hence come forth God's season of refreshing for David. "I, also pray for you that is hearing or reading this sermon that you will experience seasons of refreshing coupled with showers of blessing from the Lord in the name of Jesus. All of your enemies that had vowed that we shall see how it will happen shall be silenced permanently In Jesus Name”. Amen!
What Happens When God's Season of Refreshing Come?
1. The people who once despised you or failed to acknowledge or celebrated you will come begging you. We can see that in 2 Samuel 5:1.
2. God will open their eyes to now see the best you are made of. 2 Samuel 5:2
3. The years of your season of refreshing will be much longer than the season of your afflictions and hardships. 2 Samuel 5:4-5 . Try to do the mathematics here? David was seventeen when he killed Goliath and started running for his life and did this until he was thirty years of age. He used thirteen solid years to be tested in the fire of affliction, but enjoyed more than 40 years after he got to the throne.
4. People will want to bless and assist you without you asking for it. 2 Samuel 5:11.
5. You will know the season by yourself without anyone telling you that you are in God's Season of refreshing. 2 Samuel 5:12.
How Can You Provoke God's Season of Refreshing?
1. Be open-minded unto God to do His will not for ulterior motives of what you want to gain, but what you want to give to Him.
2. Be prayerful consistently and not forsaken the gathering of your fellow believers.
3. Be ready to serve God with all of your substance. Have the mentality of 1 Timothy 6:7 that said we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
4. Don't be grumpy when working for God or doing work for him no matter the circumstances you are passing through.
In conclusion, when you have followed these steps and many more that we cannot cover here in the sermons that God Almighty in His infinite mercy will send you His Season of Refreshing.
Let us pray!
Almighty Father, we pray that you send unto us the former rain and the latter rain in abundance in Jesus Name. According to Psalm 90:14-17, Oh Lord, satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children in Jesus Name. And let the beauty of you Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establishes thou it in Jesus Mighty Name Amen!
