TIMES OF REFRESHING – SEASONS OF VISITATION

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that TIMES of REFRESHING may come from the presence of the Lord…” – Acts 3:19

The Outpourings of the Holy Spirit represent TIMES of REFRESHING and SEASONS of VISITATION (Acts 3:19). God has absolute control of times and seasons: “He changes the times and the seasons…” (Dan.2:21a). He delights in blessing His children with seasons of visitation; and when He visits, supernatural manifestations flow. We should not see divine visitations as exceptions to the rule, but make them our expectation. God wants us to understand what His Visitation means, in order for us to position for it in faith.

Let’s consider six biblical examples of Divine Visitation:

Visitation for Prophetic Fulfilment: “And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.’ (Gen 21:1). A visitation of God broke the long season of barrenness in Sarah’s life, resulting in fulfilment of prophecy and the birth of Isaac, whose name meant ‘laughter.’

Visitation for Deliverance from Affliction: ‘When they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped” (Exo. 4:31). God saw the pain of His people and visited to act on their behalf. A visitation of God broke the long season of Israel’s bondage in Egypt. They realised God had not left them alone in their suffering, but was intimately concerned for them. His power was about to be revealed.

Visitation for Divine Help And Provision: “Then [Naomi] arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread” (Ruth 1:6). A visitation of God broke a long season of famine in Bethlehem, Judah. Moreover, this visitation produced a chain reaction! The testimony of God’s goodness reached the grieving widow called Naomi while in Moab. She moved in the direction of divine visitation and her inheritance and family line was restored in the place and season of visitation.

Visitation for Restoration of Inheritance and Homecoming: ‘For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place” (Jer 29:10). A visitation of God broke the long season of Judah’s exile, and they returned to Jerusalem at His appointed time.

The Ultimate Divine Visitation of Messiah – JESUS: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people…the Dayspring from on high has visited us” (Lk. 1:68,78). In the New Testament, Zacharias understood that the ultimate visitation of God to His people was fulfilled in the birth of our Messiah and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Visitation for the Outpourings of the Holy Spirit: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that TIMES of REFRESHING may come from the presence of the Lord…” (Acts 3:19). From the day of Pentecost and throughout church history, we understand visitations of the Holy Spirit to be times of outpouring, that bring refreshing and empowering to God’s people.

Each of these accounts of visitation represents God’s time to act: to banish barrenness, to deliver Israel from four hundred years of affliction, to restore Naomi, to birth the Messiah, and to pour forth His Spirit. The key to experiencing divine visitation therefore lies in understanding God’s timing for our lives – His ‘kairos,’ appointed time, due season, or opportune time. The Father longs for us to seek Him for His Kairos time and walk in it: “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jer.29:13). Prophet Zechariah puts it strikingly: “Ask the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain” (Zech.10:1).

Beloved, let the Spirit of God ignite faith in your heart, to fulfil His Word in your life to enjoy Seasons of Visitations! Through a deeper relationship with His Spirit, you’ll not only experience divine visitation in your life, but move from visitation to habitation.