As I write this, the 2024 Presidential primaries are beginning. Politics are a blood sport, and today we can add a character destroying, canceling, death march, more for one side than another. The Media is now a propaganda machine with no ability to blush with shame as lies fill the screens of the cable networks. For those looking for justice and righteousness in our land or to see the goodness of God in the land of the living, it can seem discouraging. It's easy to fall into a doomsday mindset and
sit around irascibly watching the news and feeling sorry for yourself and our country.
Where are the irenic leaders desiring to unify our nation? Most of us don't believe they exist. To our chagrin, most Christians have landed in the camp that believes Jesus must be coming back because there is nothing left but the destruction of America. I don't land there, but I get it. With the transgender takeover of our country. The Courts are illegally and immorally taking parental rights away for children to have their genitals mutilated. Parents who decry CRT and the radical sexualization of their children in schools are being called domestic terrorists. Blatant criminality from our politicians is excused if it's one side and made up from whole cloth to destroy the other. I am not sure if Jesus is coming back anytime soon, but all of this is enough to rhapsodize about his return and scream, "Come, Lord Jesus!"
I think that is too easy an out for us. It stinks of our comfort being shaken, and we want an escape. The quick escape offers us more of a reason to hide and wait it out instead of being those who expose lies for the Truth. It's easy to want to rush Jesus' return, so we don't need to face persecution over actively making disciples. Nothing is wrong with wanting Jesus' return. We should desire it, but not simply because our world is shattering. There is something humble in being ok with suffering to allow The Father's longsuffering to bring more to salvation. He does not desire that any would perish, so we should desire the same.
Instead, let's long for revival. What if all of this bedlam and tumult is our, God's children, opportunity to shine through the darkness? What if it is our time of examination? The examination of our priorities? The examination of our loyalties? The examination of longing for revival, not escape?
These questions turn my heart to Isaiah 57:15 "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" In chapter 57, infidelity, worship of idols, and idolatrous practices were pervasive in Israel. The sexual debauchery was blatant and a slap in God's face. This was so bad God was ready to turn his back on His people. If they got into the kind of trouble that brought harm, he was ready to challenge them to "let the gods you serve deliver you." Reading this passage brings similarities to the pungent stench of sin in America in 2023. But God doesn't leave those who long for more to look for an out or hide away huddled in a corner.
He calls us to remember who He is. I spoke in an earlier devotion of God's transcendence and imminence (loftiness, distant while near, and accessible). In 57:15, God reminds us of the same thing again. In this reality, there is hope. It is because he is "the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity..." that we can be assured He is able to revive us in times when hope can escape our grasp, threats surround our livelihood, and fear can keep us quiet. In these times, we find ourselves in dry places. The shadows of death we are led through dig their claws into our spirit, and we become overwhelmed with everything changing around us. We can feel completely frozen.
The next part of verse 15 is reminiscent of Hagar when she recognized the Angel of the Lord was not only there with her but offered her an opportunity to see Him. "I dwell in the high and holy place..." Many believe God is not active in our world. They believe He created everything and left it for mankind to deal with all its complexity, and He watches without involvement from a distance. This passage could leave us wondering if God is so high that He is cold and distant. If that were true, I'd be remiss to attempt to encourage us to long for revival. If God were inactive and lofty, and uninvolved, I'd be with you in simply begging for Jesus to return for the hopeless state we are facing.
Yet, that is not the end of God's dwelling. He not only dwells "...in the high and holy place..." The verse continues, "... and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit..." He is not simply locked into eternity to watch and shake His head or wag His finger at us. He gives His presence actively to those longing for a deeper relationship with Him, especially when their lives are topsy-turvy. I should say, especially when the world around them is completely depraved, and they want to keep their eyes on Jesus but find discouragement at every turn. But they will not leave; they understand there is nowhere to go because Jesus has the words of eternal life. They long for souls to be changed from death to life. They recognize hard times are not the end of the story but, for many, the beginning.
With all that has gone on, you may recognize a calcifying of your heart that needs to be softened. Instead of sitting around waiting for Jesus to return, long for revival. You may begin to understand difficulty does not always equate to Jesus' return, though we do long for that. Difficulty and pervasive immorality coming from our political and judicial system should be met with a desire to stay malleable to the things of God while the world is hardening towards Him. God wants to meet His people with revival. He has conditions, though. We must remain humble before Him. We must live submitted and stay repentant. Even in the depravity, America's political and judicial system has intentionally inflicted on our nation, when God's people long for His revival, lives can still be changed. We do not need to be watching the end of a nation but a parenthesis.
With revived hearts, our light shines so men will see our good works and glorify the Father who "dwells in the high and holy place and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit..." Our nation needs the impact of contrite, humble servants of God ready to make disciples, no matter the cost. They've counted it, and it's worth it. These are those who are longing for revival.
Why does He dwell with the contrite and lowly? The last part of verse 15 answers, "to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." The contrite and humble before the Lord doesn't need to see through the lens of discouragement. We can long for revival, and God promises to give it. No matter how bad the world gets, we have a promise from God. The key: Revival is not for the lazy or apathetic. It is for those who will be about God's business, even when that business may cost us. There may be a lot of earthly treasures to lose. But much of God's Kingdom to gain. And while I said we should not sit around repining the changes in the morality of our Country and, with an eye roll, cavalierly says, "This means Jesus is coming back soon. In verse 16, God does remind us, "For I will not contend forever..."
We can rest in the fact that there is an end to these things. One day His Son will return, and he will separate the sheep from the goat. Though God's longsuffering means salvation for many. That is beautiful. We still can wait, anticipating Jesus' return while longing for revival. At this moment, we should desire to be part of bringing to salvation those He is patiently working to bring into His Kingdom. Let's long for revival over His return for the sake of the rebellious who might be ready to repent! 2023 is not the first time this story is being told. The same God who offered revival during a depraved time in Isaiah's day wants us to live and long for revival today. America can use a revival, but even more, God's people must go first.
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