Made New Again
Well now, sure do appreciate you stoppin’ in, friend. You came saunterin’ on up to this ol’ front porch like someone who just spotted a patch of shade that knows how to mind its manners real good. So, go on and pull up a chair right here beside me where the breeze is actin’ like it’s done earned a college degree, and the Crepe Myrtle is showin’ off like it won first place at the county fair. I’ve been sittin’ here watchin’ a nosy lil’ chipmunk tryin’ to convince a very unimpressed box turtle to move along, and it got me to thinkin’. Folks hold on to their ol’ worn‑out spiritual habits the same way that lil’ chipmunk guards a pile of acorns that ain’t even worth fussin’ over. But Psalm 80:3 says, “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts. Cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved.” When God shines His face on us, friend, He can revive what we thought was way too dried‑up to matter anymore.
Before we get too deep in talkin’ about revival, we ought to know what we are askin’ for. Revival just ain’t some sort of mysterious lightnin’ bolt from heaven. It’s plum refreshment. It’s real restoration. It’s sho’-nuff’ God takin’ what’s done wilted and coaxin’ it on to be standin’ back upright. Psalm 85:6 says, “Won’t You revive us again, so Your people can rejoice in You.” And Psalm 23:3 reminds us, “He restores my soul.” Revival is God returnin’ His people to their original condition, the one He intended before life’s dust storms came in and plum wore us thin.
Think of a beat‑up ol’ tractor sittin’ out behind the barn. Someone who knows what they’re doin’ comes and replaces the belts, oils the gears, shines the paint, and before long that there ol’ tractor is hummin’ like it was just made yesterday. That there’s restoration. Or picture a thirsty plant droopin’ in the heat. You give it water and sunlight, and it plum perks up like it suddenly remembered it has a job to do. Revival is the spiritual version of that kind of refreshment.
Our nation once experienced a revival that shaped its very foundation. Noah Webster said every misery we face comes from neglectin’ scripture. Revival just ain’t about makin’ noise. It’s plum about returnin’ to the truth that steadies us. It’s sho’-nuff’ about lettin’ God shine His face on us until we remember who we are and Whose we are. Acts 17:6 describes believers as those “who have turned the world upside down.” That’s what real restored people look like. They don’t blend in. They sho’-nuff’ shine.
Father, restore my soul. Refresh what has grown weary. Revive what has gone quiet. Bring me back to the place where Your truth guides me, Your Spirit strengthens me, and Your presence steadies me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, as you bring this truth forward, let it git to settlin’ into your spirit the way a quiet early mornin’ dawn falls over a meadow before the world remembers to begin making noise. Revival is not loud or showy like a proud peacock struttin’ around hopin’ someone notices. It’s real steady like a windmill that keeps turnin’ even when nobody is watchin’. It’s plum gentle like the soft rustle of pine needles when a breeze slips through the branches. And it’s sho’-nuff’ powerful enough to take the smallest lil’ ol’ spark of faith and grow it into a whole new season of strength. You gotta be walkin’ with that hope, friend, because the Lord knows how to breathe new life into the very places you thought were long past their prime.
With joy,
Gwen
