Don’t Grow Weary: Be Refreshed by the Wine of the Spirit

 “. . . and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness” 2 Samuel 16: 2c. 

The wilderness in an exhausting place, whether literal or figurative. It’s hot and dry with very few opportunities to refresh ourselves. It represents an apparent contradiction of God’s promise.

This passage is talking about literal wine and an actual wilderness. But I believe there are often figurative applications in many of these passages. And there is a spiritual counterpart to physical realities. To read the entire text for context, click here.

The wilderness is an experience that seems to fly in the face of God’s word to us.

In fact, the whole “wilderness experience” metaphor comes from the literal wilderness the Israelites had to trudge through in order to get to the “land flowing with milk and honey”. This was God’s promise to them (Exodus 15: 22- 18: 27).

Refreshed by the Wine of the Spirit

It can be exhausting because it’s a test of our faith. It takes endurance to continue to believe God’s promise in the face of what seems like evidence to the contrary. We will be worn out, and tired out by the ordeal. Unless we are refreshed by the wine of the Holy Spirit.

Wine is used as a metaphor for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5: 18). And Acts 3: 19, 20 tell us to repent “that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord”.

God promises us welfare. But the welfare promise will be tested by apparent calamity. This can be draining unless we are continually renewed and strengthened by the wine of the Spirit.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29: 11. 

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” Galatians 6: 9. 

Don’t Grow Weary Right Before the Harvest

When are we tempted to grow weary or become exhausted? Isn’t it during that waiting period when we have a promise of a glorious harvest but no sign of any fruit?

We have to water and weed and wait and have nothing to show for all our hard work. So far from having the fulfillment of the beautiful promise, we have more toil and expend more effort than if we had no promise at all.

This is when we’re tempted to become exhausted and give up if we don’t rely on the refreshing of the Holy Spirit. We cannot endure the testing of our faith and not grow weary without the wine of the Holy Spirit to refresh and strengthen us.

We Must Lean on Christ in the Wilderness

And unless we endure, we will not reap a harvest. The trials that test our faith will exhaust us and prevent us from experiencing the ultimate purpose of the trial. This is always to bring us to completion and maturity.

Unless, that is, we are refreshed by the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus says “apart from me you can do nothing” John 15: 5.

To read another post related to Don’t Grow Weary: Be Refreshed by the Wine of the Spirit, see When God Speaks a Blessing and You Experience Bane Instead.