BROKENNESS THE PATH TO PERSONAL REVIVAL
2 Chron. 7:14
Morning Meditation 3/3/17
Verse 14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
From the time I surrendered my life to preach the gospel of Jesus until now I have longed to see revival. I have read and reread books on revival trying to find the key that unlocks the windows of heaven so that God’s people can once again experience a mighty outpouring of the Spirit of God. When you study the history of revival, you will discover that godly men and women lived out their lives and never saw what they were praying for come to pass. In fact over the past history of the church there are not too many revivals recorded. Most of church history is made up of ordinary men and women who had a close walk with the Lord but never experienced a wide spread revival like the one in Wales in the beginning of the present century.
I began to take a different look at the subject of revival. I discovered that while God may not give a wide spread revival to His people in a given locality of the earth, He will give personal revival to the individual anywhere anytime. I do not mean to teach in this meditation that we should abandon our prayer for widespread revival in America. This country certainly needs that kind of a revival. But God is sovereign, and His ways are not our ways, and He may not chose to give revival to America. But what God chooses to withhold from the country, He will not withhold from the individual who is willing to seek Him.
Our text, though an Old Testament text that applies to the nation of Israel, is a good text to show the way to personal revival. It is the way of brokenness. This is a term that has been adopted by those who have been used of God to teach the way to personal revival. Roy Hession has written one of the best little books on revival that has ever been printed from my view point. It is called The Calvary Road. I recommend that every reader get a copy of this book. The first chapter in this book is called Brokenness.
First of all lets examine the definition of brokenness. The Americal Heritage Dictionary defines brokenness: "Subdued totally." It is an attitude of humility that comes from the recognition of our powerlessness to meet God's standards in ourselves. It is a submission to God's viewpoint; it is a transparency about sin when it arises and bowing before God at the cross. A man is broken when he is willing to walk in the light and confess his sins as they arise (1 John 1:6-9).
Our text says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray . . .” Revival is first of all for God’s people. The promise is conditional. “If” is used to set up a condition. It is like James says, “Ye have not because ye ask not.” Let’s notice the conditions. First, one must “humble” himself. The word “humble” translates the Hebrew “kana” and means, “to be humble, be humbled, be subdued, be brought down, be low, be under, be brought into subjection.” The word subdued is a good word. A person who is subdued has been conquered. It is like the ancient Roman conqueror who returned from the battle with the leaders of the foes chained to the back of his chariot and humiliated in a public display. The once proud foe is now subdued and broken.
Now if God’s people are going to have the windows of heaven opened to them personally they must of the selves chose the path of brokenness. This is a choice and one that not many make.
The next condition in our text is “pray.” Prayer is faith’s acknowledgment of His Lordship. We must come under His authority. Prayer is a dialog not a monolog. We speak to God in prayer and He speaks to us through His Word. Prayer with a closed Bible is a monolog. This is not the prayer that gets an answer. When you pray with an open Bible, He fellowships, He instructs, He answers. Have you had God speak to you in His Word? That is what I am talking about.
The next phrase is “and seek my face.” This is worship. You will notice that this identifies the purpose of prayer. This prayer that will bring the blessings of God is one that seeks His face. This means to seek His presence. Psalm 16:11 says, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” We are invited to do this in the New Testament in Hebrews 10:19, 22: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus . . . Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” No Christian will be the same who enters the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
The words, “and turn from their wicked ways” identifies the next step that one must take to personal revival. The words “wicked ways” are not just talking about individual sins committed (though that is included) but the very manner of one’s life, i.e., the way he conducts himself. The Lord does not just want us to stop particular sins but He wants a change the way we do things. The word “turn” translates “shuwb” and means, “to return, turn back.” This definition draws attention to the fact that revival is a return. I personally believe that every saved person has experienced personal revival. It happened when we were first saved. It may have not lasted long but we can remember the overflowing joy that we experienced. During that time we were back under the authority of the Throne. What He said made a big difference to us. But somewhere along the line we were distracted. We began to run our own life again. And the first thing we knew the joy was gone. Revival is brokenness that resumes the attitude of the conquered. Have we been conquered by Love?
Then next we have the promise, “Then will I hear from heaven, and will forgiven their sin, and will heal their land.” The person who meets these conditions has the promise of a restored fellowship, “Then will I hear from heaven.” Then there is the cleared conscience, “and will forgive their sins.” And finally the external blessing, “And will heal their land.” Brokenness is the key to these blessings. Let’s notice some things that will come through brokenness.
NEARNESS TO GOD COMES THROUGH BROKENNESS;
Psalms 34:18 says, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” One of the characteristics of revival is the nearness of God. If you want to be near to God, then you must come with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
REVIVAL COMES TO THE BROKEN
Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Who does God say He will dwell with? The ones with “a contrite and humble spirit.” The man filled with pride may seem to you to have God on him but it is not true. Appearances do not always tell the truth. What does God say He will do for those with whom He dwells? He says, “to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” He is able and will do this. Revival comes from God. It is not something worked up, it is prayed down.
BROKENNESS TRUSTS GOD'S VIEWPOINT INSTEAD OF ITS OWN
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Man takes great pride in what he knows. Man since the fall has assumed to know more than God and therefore has rejected His Word in all areas of his life. He no longer believes that God created the heavens and the earth and teaches evolution as his view. When you are saved and come back under the authority of the throne, you return to Genesis 1:1 and accept what God says about origins.
Salvation is by faith in Christ and His Word. So the words “trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” are not a problem with us. We have accepted that we have to abandon our viewpoint and trust in Him. This is a description of brokenness. When our verse says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” it means that we adopt the attitude of a little child and trust Him to direct us in everything.
We do not have to wait on widespread revival. We can have revival daily on a personal basis. The conditions are clearly laid out through the Scriptures. What we need is personal revival while we wait and pray for a nation wide revival.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
