Psalm 85:1-6 TLB
Lord, you have poured out amazing blessings on this land! You have restored the fortunes of Israel, [2] and forgiven the sins of your people— yes, covered over each one, [3] so that all your wrath, your blazing anger, is now ended. [4] Now bring us back to loving you, O Lord, so that your anger will never need rise against us again. [5] (Or will you be always angry—on and on to distant generations?) [6] Oh, revive us! Then your people can rejoice in you again.
Revival is the act of reviving or the state of being revived. Specifically, to renew attention to something, to renew performance in something or interest in something.
Renewed interest in religion, after indifference and decline; a period of religious awakening; special religious interest.
Revival from a state of languor or depression; —applied to health, spiritual, that is to renew pursuit, or cultivation, or flourishing state of something.
Whichever definition you go with, we all, and the world at large is in desperate need of revival, be it spiritual, physical, financial, we need them all.
Will You not revive us again? what is revival? Revival is when God refreshes us with more mercy than we’ve ever known before and visited us with a fresh blessing.
One would think but I don’t need God! Yes. We all do, we all need revival one way or another, we do. When you begin to think you don’t need anything, that only proved that you need everything, especially God.
Revival always starts with you and me! We want the world to change, how about that change starts from us? Jacob probably didn’t know, like so many others, that he needed revival-Genesis 45:27 says when he saw the wagons—the spirit of Jacob—revived—The wagons were additional pieces of evidence of the truth of what he had heard from his sons; and the consequence was, that he was restored to fresh vigour, he seemed as if he had gained new life, and he lived, he lived afresh.
Vs 6 is not the psalmist wringing his hands and moaning, “Will you revive us again?” He asks with expectancy, “Will you not revive us again?” Surely you will revive us again. That’s exactly right. In other words, we’re all a mess. But we’re God’s mess not man’s and only the righteous God can revive us. Will you not pour out your newness of life again, that we may rejoice in you? This should be our song and declaration-like Jacob, we may not know we need revival or the extent to which we need it- “revive me oh Lord.”
Wilt thou not revive us—We have long had the sentence of death in ourselves and have all kinds of fears. Shall we not trust God to revive us again?
Revival comes from the place of acknowledgement, repentance and desire for change, When the times of refreshing shall come—where the times of refreshing may come, signifying a breathing time, or respite from despair, which God gives us when we repent of our sins and be converted to Him. Only in the word of God do we become whole again to reign in this life by grace.
According to Acts 3:19-21, when we align our failures and sin with God, we receive refreshment or revival in His presence that will change the direction of our lives.
The world needs revival more than ever, like of old where all of society will be dramatically affected, where millions came to Christ. We need a great spiritual awakening in the spiritual foundation of our nations.
Will You not revive us again? Lord, send us once again times of increased spiritual life, times of greater success in the spiritual walk, faith-filled life and kingdom agenda. Revive us oh Lord.
Shalom