Revivable

Photo @ AGR, please do not reuse

Isn’t that a beautiful photograph? It was shared by one of our church family. New Year’s Day we had the right combination of temperature/drizzle to build layers of ice. We were fortunate that by Friday morning the ice was not covering the roadway, but there was fog, that added more layers to the ice on trees, fences and a layer on our mailbox. By Friday night we were experiencing thunderstorms as warm, moist air spread into those cold layers.

That grass appears dead. Those specific leaves are. But there are good roots there that will provide green shoots next year, in spite of drought conditions here. We get a bit of moisture now and again so our springs are beautiful – and I’m already looking forward to the one coming!

There are good people with similar situations – good roots, a strong biblical knowledge, but they’re in need of a reviving growth:

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? (Psalms 85:6 KJV)

Yes, He will – and we don’t need an evangelist to visit our church to get us started. While those meetings are uplifting and energizing, we don’t need to wait until a special time to allow God to revive us again and have us rejoicing in Him. We can ask for it ourselves:

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10 KJV)

No, we can’t do it ourselves, how could we? We need this because we are no longer as close to the Lord as we once were – and as we need to be in order to be joyful. David experienced this more than once and understood what he needed:

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (Psalms 51:12 KJV)

Do you see the mountains and valleys in life? The times when our Lord felt so very close – and the times when it seemed there was no way to reach Him. He does not change. He does not move.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)

We, however, do. We are error prone. We need to remember who those errors affect:

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (Psalms 51:1-4 KJV)

We will be judged.

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; (2 Timothy 4:1 KJV)

Why not do a little soul searching now, requesting that heart cleansing, restoration of joy and acknowledgement of His loving kindness, His mercy, ever to us-ward:

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. (Psalms 40:3-5 KJV)