Holy Living 11: Revival
Psalm 119 is an instruction how, in the midst of cultural upheaval, to stand firm as does God and His Word in the Heavens.
Psalm 119:126: “It is time for you to act, O LORD; your law is being broken.”
- Grammatical Usage: “time” or in the Hebrew, “`eth” meaning, “appointed/proper time; opportunity”; “act” or “`asah” meaning, “to bring about; accomplish”; “broken” or “parar” meaning, “violate; frustrate”.
- Literal Interpretation: ( 120-121): Because I fear you and have done what is right in Your eyes: (126): now is an opportunity for You to bring about and accomplish Your will; for Your direction (will) is being violated and frustrated.
- Contextual/Comparison: God keeps His Word: God continually uses His Word.
- The Lord Works. Revival refers to a spiritual reawakening from a state of dormancy or stagnation in the life of a believer. It always begins with an individual, encompassing:
- the resurfacing of a love for God
- an appreciation of God’s holiness
- a passion for His Word and His church
- a convicting awareness of personal and corporate sin
- a spirit of humility
- a desire for repentance and growth in righteousness
- opens his or her eyes to the truth
- breaks the charm and power of the world
- involves a fresh start by living in obedience to God
- generates both the will and power to live in the world but not of the world
- Work for the Lord. What should we do to make it possible for God to do this work?
- We must recognize the desperate need that exists, as the psalmist did when he suddenly cried out for God to step in and work mightily. We must have our eyes open to see the need for revival, and we must be burdened for men and women. God has issued warnings to help us recognize how we can frustrate revival:
- Revelation 2:14-16 talks about the problem of compromise with the world and incorporating worldly values into our belief systems. Revival helps us to rightly discern what values we should hold.
- Revelation 2:20-23 discusses the problem of tolerating false teaching in our churches. We need to examine the messages that we hear and compare them to the message of the Bible. Revival helps us to find the truth.
- Revelation 3:1-6 describes a dead church, a church that goes through the motions outwardly, but there is nothing underneath. Here is a picture of nominal Christianity, outwardly prosperous, busy with the externals of religious activity, but devoid of spiritual life and power. Revival helps to resuscitate spiritual life.
- In Revelation 3:11, we are further warned against complacency, a life that does not bear fruit. All of these scenarios call for revival.
- It is clear the psalmist believed fully in God’s willingness to hear and answer prayer and to send revival. God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to revival in a number of situations. Christ’s letters to the seven churches reveal some circumstances that may necessitate revival:
- In the letter to Ephesus, Christ praised the church for their perseverance and discernment, but He stated that they had forsaken their first love (Revelation 2:4-5). Many times as the excitement of acceptance of Christ grows cold, we lose the zeal that we had at first. We become bogged down in the ritual, going through the motions, but we no longer experience the joy of serving Christ.
- Revival helps restore that first love and passion for Christ. Revelation 2:10-11 refers to the church at Smyrna, which was suffering intense persecution. The cares and worries of life can beat us down, leaving us emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted. Revival can lift us up to new hope and faith.
- Having recognized the need, and believing that God is willing to send revival, we must then present ourselves before Him and ask Him to “work”. All the great revivals of which we have record have been preceded by earnest, believing prayer – sometimes by the prayers of just a few people; always by the prayers of some; and often by the prayers of a great many (2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 85:6).
- The evidence of revival, a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon believers, is changed lives. Great movements toward righteousness, evangelism, and social justice occur. Believers are once again spending time in prayer and reading and obeying God’s Word. Believers begin to powerfully use their spiritual gifts. There is confession of sin and repentance, so that we may be instruments in His hands to use.
- See vv. 127 and 128, where the psalmist tells us two things: first, that his great desire was to love and to do God’s will, and second, that he had a holy hatred of sin and of all that was contrary to God’s will.
- The Holy Spirit draws back the veil the world has cast over the truth, allowing the believers to fully see themselves in comparison to God’s majesty and holiness.
- Conclusion: God’s care and concern is for you as an individual. Your well-being; your health; your family; your friends; your spirit. His call is unto Himself. Answer Him.
