A Daily Devotional with Pastor Doug Crouse April 23, 2018 The Secret of Refreshing Scripture Reading – Proverbs 11:25 (NLT)"The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." 

Did you ever experience that pillar to post feeling? You know what I mean, everything seems to be going really quite o.k. You are not in a time of crisis personally. But you just find yourself at home opening up the refrigerator at 8 or 9 p.m. which is full of stuff, but nothing seems to catch your fancy. You do the same in the cupboard which is also filled up, and although there is quite an excellent selection of dainties - nothing tweaks or even Twinkies that quiet nagging. So you go over and turn on the TV flipping through the menu of endless selections only to turn it off, still wondering what will begin to ease this now growing nagging feeling of simple discontent with no reason that you can exactly put your finger on.

If we remember that the nature of our Creator, is that God so loved the world that He....GAVE, and couple that with today's text we will be well on the way to discovering, 'The Secret of Refreshing' both today and into eternity itself.

Someone short-sighted said that, 'the one who dies with the most toys wins'. However, those of us with any number of toys at all know that they lose their luster pretty quickly. Not to mention the fact that at the end of our 60, 70 or even 100 years, they are left for someone else to pick up and put in the toy box, or the dumpster should they so choose.

God reminds, ensures, no I should say absolutely guarantees that if we will look out for others in His name with our lives and livelihoods, that He will pour into our cups more than we need, even to overflowing of His joy and presence. And so today may you and I take what the Lord has put into our hands and care for the needs that He brings across our pathways. As we do, our lives will be daily renewed. 

Prayer Father in Heaven thank-You for caring for and meeting all of my needs in Your great and glorious grace today. Right now I believe and receive that in Jesus name. May Your refreshing flow both in and through me to others for Your glory I pray. 

Memory Verse:  Psalm 25:4 – 5a NLT “_____ me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me…”