refreshing

“And the king, and all the people that [were] with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.” (2Sa 16:14 AV)

The circumstances for the refreshing are known, but the place is not.  David was in flight from his son Absalom.  Absalom hated his father because David did not exercise justice promptly enough for Absalom.  Absalom’s sister was raped by their half-brother Amnon.  Absalom killed Amnon for it.  The bible tells us that David was comforted over the death of Amnon.  Absalom resented his father for his delay or refusal to do what had to be done.  So, when Absalom returned from banishment, he used that resentment as a way to take the kingdom from his father.  While in flight, a man from the household of Saul cursed David and his men along the way.  He cursed, threw stones, and tossed dust in the air.  For miles this went on.  A constant barrage of insults, accusations, and ill will.  To say that David was discouraged would be an understatement.  Rejected by a nation to whom he dedicated his life, rejected by a son who wanted him dead, and insulted by the godless family whom he replaced; David needed a time out.  The context suggests that David purposefully refreshed himself and his men even while Shimei was cursing. 

There is a difference between refreshing and resting.  Resting means all present activity is ceased.  I lay down.  I fall asleep.  I am at rest because activity has ceased.  Refreshing does not require that activity cease.  Activity can be interrupted or lessened.  But activity continues.  I had a brother who was an amateur athlete.  He started as a marathon runner.  Then he graduated to cycling.  He entered contests in our home state and would travel a bit to compete.  When he traveled, he would often check into a hotel for a night or two.  The night before the race, he would rest.  The night after the race, he would rest again.  However, while participating in the race, there was no resting.  There was refreshing.  Every few miles, there would be tables of water for the contestants.  As they ran or cycled by, they could grab a cup of water and drink a refreshing drink.  The race continued.  Maybe they slowed a bit to grab the water, but stride was maintained.  They were refreshed along the way, while their challenge still lay before them.  Resting will come eventually.  But while in the race, refreshing was necessary.

David was in flight.  He had to save his skin.  God gave him a promise, and Absalom’s insurrection wasn’t about to end it.  He had the battle of his life before him.  He had harassment from all sides.  He could not rest.  To do so meant death.  What he could do was to find a place of refreshing.  As the cursing and pursuing continued, he stopped long enough to grab fresh water and a meal by a river’s bank.  One can imagine how that fresh cold water would drown out the calls of evil all around him.  This refreshing was so overpowering that the surrounding troubles seemed to shrink.  We need this refreshing.  Every day we need to spend time with the LORD.  The battle against the flesh, devil, and the world will rage on until our graduation.  The battle for the lost souls of mankind will rage on.  These things will not stop until our eternal rest.  Refreshing is necessary lest we come to an untimely and unproductive end.  That cool, clear water of the word of God and the sweet taste of intimate prayer are what we need every day.  The swirling trouble will continue.  The stones will still fly.  But ignore them for a brief moment and refresh your weary soul in the presence of Almighty God!