Revival… a word we have been hearing about for a while now. What does it look like?
I have been reading through the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and something really struck me. The Jews had returned from captivity in Babylon which became Persia and had to set things in order; separate from all connections to idolatry. The temple was rebuilt, sanctified, and those who served, cleansed and sanctified also. Ezra was involved with that process.
When Nehemiah showed up later, he and a small group inspected the wall around Jerusalem by night. Groups were assigned to rebuild a section of the wall and do only that part. Even people from Jericho were there as well. It was a team effort… but there was opposition from those who lived in the surrounding countryside. Requests of, “Let us help you” and “Let’s meet together and talk about this” plus complaints to the king of Persia to stop the work slowed it to a standstill.
Eventually, through the king’s order, the Jews were able to build and it was necessary for the people to work with one hand and Have a weapon in the other (Nehemiah 4:17), so that no one or anything would prevent them from completing the task at hand!
“The more God’s people put effort into doing God’s will, the more the enemy doubles his efforts to frustrate their work. Satan does not attack those who do nothing that disturbs the kingdom of darkness, but he does attack those who do God’s will.” Pardon Mwansa, Vice Chancellor, Rusangu University, Zambia “Commentary on Nehemiah 4” https://www.revivalandreformation.org/bhp/en/bible/neh/4
For us, the Word of God is our “weapon” against the temptations, distractions and give us power to not do the things that separate from Christ. We are in the “tarrying time” described in the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. Revival is necessary to prepare us to meet Jesus; but it is also necessary for us to reach out to others, introduce them to a loving Savior and warn the world of what is to come! May the Lord bless our efforts in the Shoreline city limits and in the neighborhoods where all of us live! MB