The mention of the word “revival” may inspire a longing for a fresh outpouring of God’s blessing upon His people and His work. At the same time, it can be accompanied by a lingering doubt that such blessing will ever be seen again, either corporately or personally. The following reflections are written for our encouragement.
What Is Revival?
A simple definition might be this: a spiritual revival is a change in direction Godward that brings blessing manward. This change in direction implies confession and repentance. These are fundamental in preparing the way for the flow of divine blessing to be experienced more fully.
The words “revive” and “reviving” are found only in the Old Testament. However, the principles of revival are clearly seen throughout the Scriptures, including in New Testament times and the days of the early Church. Several of the following quotations were uttered as earnest prayers to the Lord out of a desire for better things. “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psa 85:6).1 “And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage” (Ezr 9:8). “O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid:
O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy” (Hab 3:2).
In thinking about revival, what quickly comes to mind are the historical records of blessing in salvation on the grand scale, when thousands of people were swept into the kingdom of God in a relatively short period of time. Some might argue that such an occurrence is better described as an “awakening” (affecting those who were “dead” in their sins) rather than “revival” (the stirring up of spiritual life that was already present but has ebbed). Such gospel blessing has affected communities at large, and even changed the moral character of whole nations, at least for a time.
Revival can also be applied with a narrower focus to individuals and assemblies. When a believer who has backslidden moves closer to the Lord, they can recover lost spiritual ground and once again enjoy blessings they had been forfeiting. Their love is rekindled, their zeal is regained, and their joy is restored. Such a life, reclaimed for God’s glory, will inevitably affect family, friends and colleagues. There is something infectious about revival. The blessing often overflows to affect other fellow believers. Just as a burning candle can ignite others, so one individual shining brightly for the Lord can challenge and inspire others to do the same. The light of testimony emanating from a revived assembly will shine far and near.
Why Do We Need Revival?
There is a persistent tendency in human nature to become lax and lazy. We often prefer to cruise rather than climb. We can be content with mediocrity and a half-hearted approach to Christian living. Our relationship with the Lord becomes merely an outward routine, and we lose the fervor and freshness we once enjoyed. We may still attend assembly meetings and even take part in different avenues of service, but we know, and God knows, that we have lost our first love.
Believers can be self-centered and focused inwards, or even become worldly by looking outwards. They can forget to look upwards to their heavenly Father and put His interests first. Backsliding may begin almost imperceptibly. At its root is idolatry, being the displacement of a love for the Lord by some other love that takes precedence. In the modern world, there are many idols that are not made of wood or stone. The heart can be captivated by a love for prosperity, position or pleasure. Some have allowed education, business, friendships, sport or recreation to become the little “gods” that occupy most of their thoughts, time and energy.
How Long Does Revival Last?
Great historical revivals have peaked and then fallen back to ground level again. Worse still is when the slide has continued, far below ground level. This was the case with the nation of Israel. The patience and forbearance of God seemed unlimited, even as they plummeted deeper and deeper into idolatry and immorality. Frequent warnings were given in love, with many prophets being sent to plead with the people: “And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear” (Jer 25:4). All this was in vain, and so, eventually, the Lord had to move in discipline to catch their attention and arrest their downward path.
While New Testament writers warn of “the last days” and the deteriorating conditions in the world (2Ti 3:1-7), these truths are not presented to give believers any excuse to become more like the world. A bright and vibrant testimony is even more necessary in such dark days. It helps for us to remember that this world is not our home; we are strangers and pilgrims here (1Pe 2:11). With our eyes fixed on Christ and a heart longing for His coming again, we can navigate correctly and keep ourselves “unspotted from the world” (Jas 1:27).
The persistent cycle of ups and downs, however, might seem to condemn us to be bound by repeated failure and low-level living. Is this inevitable? The contention in this study is that it is not inevitable. Far from it – there is hope. With divine enabling and spiritual resources ever available, we can and must keep moving forward and climbing higher. There will still be challenges and temporary setbacks on the journey, but the New Testament presents the need for a Christianity that continually grows and abounds, more and more, rising far above the status quo (Php 1:9; 1Th 4:1,10; 2Th 1:3). The secret will be personal revival – nothing less than daily renewal before the Lord. When believers take this matter seriously, the blessing will flow. Only the Lord knows how far it will extend.
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.
