A SPIRITUAL REVIVAL

The prophet Habakkuk lived in a dark time, a time with great misery because of sin and transgression. The prophet warned earnestly against all the sins of the people, but there was almost no one who would listen to his voice, which was the voice of an angry God against His people. The Lord had done many good things in Israel, but the people did not fear the Almighty God. Alas, there is also in our time so little desire and need for the work of God in the hearts. The Revelation to John the divine tells us: “I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.”

While the prophet speaks in our text about God’s own work, he proceeds to explain that also the people possessing a renewed heart need a spiritual revival. Everything is so spiritless, so poor!

Oh, dear reader, may you learn to humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, to beg Him to search you and to try you that if you are not His child you may be converted in a right way, lest it should be your eternal downfall! And if you are His, ask that He might give the grace to renounce your sins and folhes, and turn unto Him with full purpose of heart, as the effect of revived godliness in your soul.

When we enter into each other’s houses, do we begin to talk about the cause and the truth of God? Therefore we have to say: God’s people talk so little about the work of the Master in their heart. May we receive the need to cry to heaven, “O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years.”

I must sorrowfully bring up something against all of us; namely, that there is so little real communion with Christ Jesus. Oh, how we have to cry out against ourselves, from a lack of that holy fellowship with the Lord, which is the high mark of the true child of God. How long is it since we have had a visit from the King of His dearly-bought church? How many are there who may say with a faithful heart, “My beloved is mine, and I am His?” Not many of us are the kind of people who may say with uprightness of heart, “I may see the light of His countenance.” May there then come more a need for the prayer, “O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years.” The people of Israel were going to be brought into captivity, and the prophet asked the Lord to think of His people also in those years.

Dear reader, by nature we are in captivity, far away from God. Happy is the soul who in this banishment cannot remain longer without God. But also when the Lord gives us a renewed heart, we need His work continually in our life. How often are we banished because of our own guilt? There is but one remedy: kneel down on your knees before God! He is the only One to whom we must learn to pray for help and ask, “O Lord, revive Thy work.” Then, and then only is there a possibility to thank Him for prosperity as well as adversity.

You see, Habakkuk knew how to beg God for His work in the heart of a wayward people. If the Lord will do His precious work in our hearts, then we will cry day and night, “O Lord, revive Thy work.” Not our own work, because that deceives us, and does not bring us to the right place. Oh, when the Holy Spirit works such a need in the heart of a man or a woman, a boy or girl, we will always groan when we look at what we have done and still do; namely, go our own wicked ways. And, if we then may learn to see how great God’s goodness and lovingkindness was and is, then we have to bow in the dust in true sorrow of heart.

If God’s people may realize what their life is before God, then they have to look back with tears. God in Christ was so good, and they and then-behavior were so wicked. May the Lord bring us to the place where Habakkuk came, begging if He would revive His own (thus not “your,” not “my”) work! And I hope God will give us to see it as it is. Conversion, but also a true revival, can only be through the precious work of the Spirit in our hearts. If the Lord gives a revival of your heart, then it surely is a time to be thankful. His goodness was so great, and can give in the heart of a poor creature the living hope that He will take care of His church in this sinful world and age.

But how is it nowadays in the heart of God’s child? It can be that he may go up to the house of God, but he will say of himself when he comes back, “I was sitting in my pew, but God’s Word did nothing to me; I am as dry as dead bones. Oh, how everything is changed! I once went with the multitude and I could listen. Every word was precious to me. The songs were a delight for me. When prayer was offered, I could wholeheartedly say, ‘Amen.’ Alas, nowadays it is as if I have no ears and my heart is heavy. My harp-string is broken, and I cannot sing as in the times of old. And I know the fault lies with myself.”

Dear friend, if you are in such a situation, then we hope that the cry may be born, “O Lord, revive Thy work.” If you cannot miss Christ, but feel that you are not in a good condition because you are so full of all kinds of worldly problems and have listened to the voice of the evil one, then I would ask you, “Do you groan about it?” When you feel that your heart is so empty; when you feel that your garments are stained, must you cry, “I am as an empty vessel and it is all my own guilt?” Oh, when your soul is really brought to feel its sad estate because of your departure from God and Christ, you can never be helped except by God!

Perhaps some of you will say, “I feel my need for revival, and as soon as I arrive home, I will revive myself before God.” But don’t say this; don’t try to do it in your own strength, for you will never be able. Remember, He that first made you has kept you alive, and can come in such a way that you by grace may understand, “I need not only a new, a spiritual life, but after all my backslidings I am in need of Him to revive me.”

May He give you to cry, “O Lord, what I cannot do, do Thou! O Lord, revive Thy work.” There is still the work of God in church, but it is so little exercised. And because of that there is so little to speak about the work of God in the hearts. Where is the practice of spiritual life? When we asked the people, “Who is Christ for you?”, more than once people looked astonished and did not understand the question. The old people of God spoke right from their hearts, from the innermost depths of the soul. They had experienced the work of God in their hearts, and they had no rest before they were graven in the palms of the hands of the Lord Jesus. Most important of all, it is true what the prophet Jeremiah said in his Lamentations, “The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!” That is an earnest warning for us to lament to heaven, “O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years.” David said, “Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me! Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.”

We ask you, “Where is the earnestness in these days about our state and condition for eternity?” And we will repeat, this is not only necessary in personal life, but the church as well needs revival before God. He alone can give the cry in the church, “O God, revive Thy work!” Do not forget God’s warning that the judgment will begin at the house of God!

Oh, if the Lord will return to His people, (for He is always the first), then there will be a revival in our life and conduct on earth, and also in church. Let us not forget that before there can be a revival in our life, we need to know true conversion and a time when a soul learned, “Mine eye is upon Thee alone.” The publican must cry, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” That man could go home and give thanks to God, the God of heaven and of earth. He was rich in God. It is possible that the Lord has given you spiritual life, but that you must cry now, “O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years,” because your soul is so far from the Lord. He alone is able to restore you in a way that is possibly painful for the flesh, but a blessing for your soul. It can happen that, “My tears have been my meat day and night, while they say unto me, where is thy God?” When all things are against us, because of our sins, when inward struggle comes over us, when the enemy sneers in our heart, when many things are difficult in our life, when we don’t know which way to go, when the waves go over our heads, when we fear we have sinned against the Holy Spirit, when we … and we can fill in much more. But enough.

May the Lord give His people to see more of the necessity of the prayer of the prophet Habakkuk: “O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years.” And believe me, He can do that and will do that in His own time. In the midst of the years, that is the acceptable time or year of the Lord. Oh, don’t forget, our years are not so many, and it will be a wonder from heaven if the Lord gives His people to understand that it is His work to bring in their hearts again, that which God’s servant Jeremiah taught us in his Lamentations (5:21), “Turn Thou us unto Thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.”

May God in Christ give a revival in our personal life, family life, church life, in society, and in the life of our nations. It would be to His glory and the benefit of poor souls.

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