Revival is _________.
Fill in the blank—not necessarily with the first thing that comes to mind, and not by quoting someone else. What are your genuine, personal thoughts about revival? What do you feel about it?
Your thoughts might be hopeful and positive—like beautiful, refreshing … Or they may be visionary—sweeping, extraordinary … Or, they might even be somewhat negative—inconvenient, uncomfortable …
The point of this exercise is to be honest. Because only then can we answer: Do I really want revival?
Our desires are driven by expectations and hopes. And the challenge of hope, when it comes to revival, is that we are prone to focusing overly much on our sin and far too little on God’s mercy.
We are all too aware of the evil from which we need to repent, and too ignorant of God’s power to deliver. We’re stuck in an Ezekiel 7 existence (where the prophet foretells of God’s coming wrath) and never seem to embrace an Ezekiel 39 hopefulness (where the prophet foretells of God’s people restored).
Yes, we must lament, grieve, weep, and repent. But let us not neglect the better part, the hope of God’s beauty magnified and the church ablaze with His glory!
Will you dare to pray for revival with expectation?
“Come, let us return to the LORD;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.”
(Hosea 6:1 ESV)