“…look to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.” (Hebrews 12:2)
A hunger for revival is permeating the church, and the air is thick with the expectation that God is soon to move among His people in a fresh way. Yet even now—in the midst of this season of waiting, we must remember to keep our eyes fixed upon the Lord and to seek His presence. As one man said: “Don’t pursue revival, pursue His presence—for revival is in His presence” (Author Unknown).
As we pursue God’s presence, we must be prepared to endure a time of intense brokenness and repentance. The closer we get to the center of His cloud of glory, the closer we will be to His pure and radiant light. His light will expose the depth of our sin and the extent of our neediness; it will show us how holy He is and how unholy we are. We will realize how desperate we are for His mercy, and this recognition will drive us to confession. We will be unable to live in broken relationship with the Lord and His people any longer: we will not rest until we are reconciled.
During this time, it will seem that God’s hand is heavy upon His people. His children will recognize this heaviness as His loving rod of discipline: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him; for who the Lord loves He also chastens” (Hebrews 12:5-6). He is purifying His bride for the new Kingdom—preparing us for our new home.
As we enter this season of discipline, we must remember the good news that, “His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). As Christ endured the cross for the joy set before Him, so we must endure this season for the joy set before us. And what is the joy that is set before us? It is living in the fullness of His light—in His manifest presence. The light that reveals our sin will also reveal to us the riches of His grace and mercy, and it will guide us to the place of ongoing renewal and celebration.
I believe this next Great Revival will be the Last Great Revival because it will be continuous—not limited by time or space. We won’t need to seek revival because we will have revival: it will be a daily reality in our lives. We will truly see His mercies anew every morning.
This revival will be exponentially contagious: we will not be able to contain it—it will naturally overflow from the radical internal transformation that will take place within all of us. And this is the revival, I believe, that will prepare the way for the return of Christ. Yes, this Last Great Revival will reach its ultimate fulfillment at the coming of our King! It will be well worth the wait, and well worth enduring any “cross” that comes our way. So what are we waiting for? The only thing worth waiting for is the abiding, manifest presence of our Lord. He’s coming. Are we ready?
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