He Will Come

Sunday morning our pastor preached “A Revival is Kindling”, and inspired us that a heaven-sent revival can be sparked by a just few believers seeking God's presence. Yesterday I wrote that my own heart must be continually on His altar and completely open to His fire and purpose for revival to begin in me. When a few heart-humbled believers come together seeking Him–seeking revival–crying out for their hearts to be changed, He answers.

When I was a little girl I was very close to my grandfather, Thomas Theodore (T.T.) Hardman. I knew him as Big Tom. He was a storyteller and a musician. I loved to hear his tales, and listen to him strum his guitar as he wrote hymns and songs. To this day I still remember his clear tenor voice singing his heart's message of his love for Jesus. One of the hymns that I remember him writing is “O, Lord, Send a Revival”. After I wrote the devotional yesterday, “Let It Begin in Me”, I thought of this hymn and finally found it in “Portals of Glory” published in 1955 by J.M. Henson Music Company in Atlanta.

When my spirit's so depressed,

And my heart is sore,

Longing for more righteousness

As in days of yore;

When my mind is in despair,

And I'm lost at sea,
O, Lord, send a revival,

And let it begin in me.

When I'm loaded down with care,

And have lost my way,

When my burden's hard to bear

Drifting everyday;

Give me courage to repent;

Let me turn to thee.

O, Lord, send a revival,

And let it begin in me.

When my work on earth is done,

And my soul shall flee

To the Father and the Son

In eternity;

May I hear these words, “well done”

While I make this plea,

O, Lord send a revival,

And let it begin in me.

“Won’t you revive us again,” the psalmist cried, “so your people can rejoice in you” (Psalm 85:6, NLT)? Revival begins in me, and spreads when I pray with others who also seek it. When we are broken enough, He will change our hearts. When our burdens are finally too heavy to carry and our situations too much to control, He will lift the burdens and direct our lives....if we ask. “You don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it,” James imparts (James 4:2b, NLT). If we cry out for righteousness–if our hearts seek Him–if we as His people humble ourselves and pray, He will come.