Rekindle, Revive, Return

There is a danger that is ever present in our walk with the Lord, and that is backsliding. I’m not talking about not serving enough or not going to every service or Bible study, that is not backsliding, that can actually become a legalistic way of thinking. I am speaking about backsliding in the heart. We can be serving or attending church week in and week out and still fall just as easily into a backslidden state. This can happen through lack of prayer, by being so busy in serving and trying to fulfill every “need” that we think we have to tackle and assist in. We can neglect personal time with the Lord and a balance of life with our family outside the church walls as well which can lead to this state. We can busy ourselves in every area of our life, the workplace, the home, and even in ministry; doing things the Lord never intended for us to do, all the while trying to earn His favor and the favor of our brothers and sisters. When this happens, the pure, true love that we once had for Jesus begins to fade, ever so slowly. We can outwardly be doing all the “right things” in the name of serving others and completely miss what God would actually have us to be doing. This can in turn, lead to a heart that is so focused on people pleasing, that the will of God for one’s life, can be missed entirely. Proverbs 29 mentions the fact that the fear of man is a snare; so, when the desires the Lord has placed within our hearts (Ps. 37:4), shifts to trying to do what others would rather have us do, we can begin to backslide in our hearts. We can lose the fervor, the passion, and the desire that we once had for Jesus as our all in all, the central treasure of our lives. A.W. Tozer puts it so bluntly and takes all the excuses for backsliding off the plate, “You can blame circumstances, but backsliding always begins in the heart.” When this takes place, there needs to be a rekindling of the flame of love that once burned for Him, and Him alone.

I remember hearing a teaching by David Rosales a few years ago that always stuck with me. He mentioned that people in the church who are serving in a full-time type of role, or are on staff, are those who are at a high risk of backsliding in their relationship with the Lord. What does this mean? One of the greatest issues I believe is that some saints can rest on their laurels in their minds and believe that because they are constantly serving within the four walls of a church or hospitality role, that their relationship with the Lord doesn’t need as much nourishment. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I have seen over the years that the more time I take time to serve God and His people, the more I need to take intentional time to sit with Him in prayer; seeking Him for the strength, wisdom, direction, and most importantly, the rest He needs to provide me. The busyness of life, the fear of man, the unwarranted and unvalidated opinions of others, and the works of the enemy against us can so easily cause us to build a fortress of almost impenetrable stone around our lives, and our hearts will suffer as a result. When we are hurt by others, we can build these walls around our heart and soul, trying to guard ourselves from being hurt again, not willing to let anyone else in. We are all prone to this and the ramifications of giving way in these battles can warrant devastating consequences. A hardness can develop within our own hearts, which can cause a lack of sensitivity we once had toward the Lord. This can cause a deadening that takes place deep inside, within our hearts, and eventually, our outward lives as well. All of these things I previously mentioned are very real, ever tempting, and seem to unceasingly assault us each day, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a responsibility on our part in guarding our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) gives some much needed insight into how to be preemptive in our actions to hopefully keep us from hardening our hearts and allowing a deadness to take over, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” We have to watch over our hearts with great diligence to ensure that most importantly, our hearts remain softened toward our Savior. But, even when we are losing in this battle for our hearts, the Spirit of the living God, can so powerfully revive us, and make our hearts alive toward Him and others once again.

The word revival has unfortunately been highly criticized and scrutinized this year. People wondering and doubting if God’s Spirit is really moving mightily across our nation and the world. Yes, we are to test all things by the word of truth as Paul exhorts us to in his first letter to the believers in Thessalonica, but, we should not be playing the role of a spiritual authority, hyper analyzing, questioning others’ motives, having a spirit of negativity about us that can so easily get in the way of God giving us the spiritual eyes to see. The word revival is not a mystical thing, it starts in the hearts of God’s people when they repent of their sins and allow a rekindling of the first love fire that they once had for Him to be reignited again by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the One who can revive the deadness within us, softening our hard hearts toward Him and one another, all the while, urging His people to return to Him again. In Revelation 2:4, Jesus says to the church in Ephesus as well as us today, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Jesus never leaves or forsakes us. We are the ones who are so easily led astray by countless entanglements. God is so gracious to us. James Burns writes in his book, The Laws of Revival, in the chapter The Law of the Fullness of Time, that a, “time of spiritual deadness has its definite limits. God has set a limit to the defection of His church. When the night is darkest, the dawn is on its way.”

What do I see right now? Well, when I look at the evidence I have before me, I can honestly say that He is moving mightily again in my life. I see the Lord bringing me full circle, back to Him, reviving my heart as I have asked Him to, just as the psalmists requested on multiple occasions throughout Psalm 119. There is healing for the backslidden, and I can confidently testify today that the Lord Jesus is indeed faithful to do this when we come with a humble and broken heart before Him. Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” What a promise. For those who turn up their noses at the thought of the church going through a revival, might I exhort you to check your own heart. If that passionate heat and desire for Jesus has been quenched, ask Him to rekindle the flame of love for Him. If a deadness has overcome your heart, ask Him to revive it. If you are nowhere near Him right now, make a U-turn, about face, and ask the Lord to help you to take one bold step back in His direction. Jesus, rekindle, revive, and return us all to a true heart of worship.

God Of Revival by Phil Wickham

The darkest night, You can light it up

You can light it up, oh God of revival

Let hope arise, death is overcome

You’ve already won, oh God of revival

By Mark Anderson

March 2023