The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green. Psalm 92:12-14

v. re•fresh: To revive . . . give new vigor or spirit to. To give new freshness or brightness to; restore. To renew by stimulation, to fill up again; replenish. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition*

When I’m old I want to still be “full of sap and very green.” I want to be like Caleb, who said, “Now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in” (Joshua 14:10b-11).

Here are some ways to stay refreshed over a lifetime:

Choose the good report. Out of 12 men sent to spy out the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who chose the good report. The good report will keep us alive long enough to get into the Promised Land. That “different spirit” (Numbers 14:24) of their good report kept them fresh and filled with strength. The good report does not deny the presence of challenge. Instead, by choosing the good report we are acknowledging that we trust God in the midst of this fallen world.

Stay in the Word. We need refreshing and reviving every day. Whatever you feel, no matter what, stay committed to filling yourself with the Word. Get it on your iPod. Listen to it in your car. Read a scripture on your lunch break. Read a Proverb a day. That’s where you’ll find God’s promises for your life. God’s Word is living and eternal and the answer for every problem you face. God is your refresher, restorer, and the one who can put fire back in you when you feel burned out.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-3

Keep the vision before you. As a church we are called to the dual purpose of reaching the lost and encouraging other believers. Stay plugged into church, because that is where you will be strengthened by others, and it’s where they will call you out if you start to get weird!

God has an amazing plan for your life. As you seek Him, He will help you bear fruit that will be repercussive for generations to come.

It’s good to know God.
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright ©2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. *The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12b-13)

CONTENTMENT. The Apostle Paul chose to rejoice instead of taking a viewpoint of want. If Paul learned the secret of being content while he was in prison, then so can we in our daily lives. We have to cast down imaginations, take every thought captive, and overwhelm doubt with the language of God’s faithfulness (2 Cor. 10:5).

DELIVERANCE. Paul endured despite heavy oppression: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8). Things were so tough for Paul, he knew he could not make it on his own strength. Instead, he chose to rely on God’s faithfulness, declaring that “God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us.” (1 Corinthians 1:9b-10). Remember the times God delivered you in the past; He will do the same with your present and future.

VISION. Become like Paul and learn the language of the overcomer. My heroes are people who walk with a limp, who have seen disappointments mount up around them but who forge ahead. If our church had quit after the flood of ’93, we wouldn’t have seen 3243 kids pour in for JUMP! We would never have put out 250 million video impressions of the Gospel per year in our city. We would never have reached out in Kosovo, or impacted Sri Lanka, or rebuilt homes after Hurricane Katrina. Lives are attached to your obedience, and there is victory on the other side of your battle.

Keep moving forward,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Romans 8:1-2

When Jesus was nailed to the Cross, He paid the price for humanity, and you were freed from sin! The old law of sin and death has been displaced by the higher and better law of life. Walk in this new life. “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life” (Romans 6:4b AMP).

Physicists make it their life to study the laws governing the natural world. They now know that the law of thrust and lift will supersede the law of gravity. As followers of Jesus, we invest our lives to understand those spiritual laws that have overridden the law of sin and death. We look in the mirror of the Word to learn what the new things are of this life in Christ Jesus: who Jesus is, what we have as a result of Him, and what we can do in Him. Then, we can carry these revelations to our daily living.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

God has given you an abundant new life, but the enemy wants to steal, kill and destroy your vision so you don’t walk in it (John 10:10). The gravitational pull of lesser things can keep you in a place where you aren’t soaring to your full potential. Delving into God’s Word, praying in tongues, and maintaining a grateful heart are some key things that will help you understand the law of life and bring victory to your thoughts, words, and actions. Don’t stay victimized by gravity; break out, because the higher law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free!

It’s good to know Jesus.
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.