Acts 27:3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.
Have you ever been in a crowd of people and suffered with an agonizing loneliness? Your heart suffers incredibly with despair as the people you really long to be with are nowhere to be found. You are in a crowd but not a part of the crowd.
Paul and Luke were in a ship with 276 men who were a combination of soldiers, prisoners, and travelers. They, the early messengers of the Gospel, were in need of refreshing. They had been through great hardships and trials. They were traveling to get to Rome. They were a great distance from the familiarity of friends and the warmth of Christian fellowship. They were in a crowd, but not really a part of the crowd. Their ship cannot provide them the one thing they need the most. Though previously denied this refreshing by their legal overseer, he now provides them an opportunity to receive refreshing and gives them leave from the ship.
Can you imagine what preparations were being made on the other side? When it came to Paul, news traveled quickly. Perhaps they would have had word of the possibility of his coming. Nonetheless, Paul, Luke, and their overseer were confident that the refreshing would be available from their friends. How did the overseer come to such confidence? Certainly, the confidence of the missionaries became his as they spoke of their friends who would be able to provide them refreshing.
Have you a friend who can resort to you for refreshing from his tumultuous journey through life? Can you carry the burdens of his life for just a few moments as to give him the relief and refreshing he needs most?
Perhaps today you are the one who needs refreshing. Contact your friend today. Tell him the journey has been a little rough and you are in need of some spiritual refreshing. He will respond and help; he is your friend. What? You say you have no such friend? “… There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”