‘I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before.’ (v7) Jeremiah 33:6–11
God always reveals purpose through His activity. For some, revival is an end in itself. Hence the volume of literature detailing past revivals. Today we also find that there are many attempts to replicate past reawakenings as recorded in historical narratives. Wonderfully, God is the source of all creation and so creativity, fresh expressions of His presence, are never in short supply. What, I ask myself, might a work of revival look like today?
Certainly, it would call us back to behaving as we were originally created to live. There would be the cleansing of the burden of sin, as well as a shift in its destructive effects across society. Much like when a toxic spill is cleaned and the damaged environment restored to its natural state. Our natural state is to be in friendship with God and living lives of obedience through prayer.
Remarkably, there is no rebellion that can destroy God’s plan of salvation presented through Jesus. I’ve discovered that God will always bring us back from the brink should we choose to return. His action is always rooted in humanity’s desires and the choices they make.
Revival is God’s extraordinary work most certainly; yet, revival has its roots in the desires and choices I, and my Christian sisters and brothers, make. These reach well beyond the walls of the Church.
Related Scripture to Consider: Exod. 15:22–27; Gen. 17; Isa. 46:8–13; Rom. 12:1–8.
An Action to Take: If some distance has grown between you and God, take the decision to close it, because when we confess our sins God faithfully forgives and restores us.
A Prayer to Make: ‘Lord, may I keep short accounts with You and ensure I live close to You each and every day. Amen.’
Photo by Matthew Meijer on Unsplash
