“Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken your first love.... Repent and do the things you did at first.” Revelation 2:5

The word “revival” has such a positive, attractive ring to it: spiritual breakthroughs, excitement, growth and a renewed closeness to God.  I’ve been praying and thinking about revival and what it looks like. And God gave me a little experience of revival this past week.

When I responded with impatience to a comment from Barbara, both she and the Spirit convicted me that this was wrong. And because I had been nurturing my first love for Jesus, He made me open to embracing this painful revelation of my sin and selfishness. Confession and repentance then brought peace in both relationships. It also made me more open to God.

That is what revival looks like: first seeing more and more of God’s goodness; then the uncomfortable conviction of a sin, which should lead to repentance. Then into the pleasant part:

a renewed love for God,

a wider understanding and wonder of His forgiveness,

and deeper joy in my walk with Him.

“Lord, help me to cooperate with you in your work in my life, spending time in worship, confession, reading the Word and prayer each day, so that I may have an ongoing revival, and thereby bring you more glory. Amen.”

Picture: revival is like the sunshine cradled in the dark arms of the tree which represent revelation of our sin, highlighting God’s warm forgiveness.