Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
I've loved reflecting on this incident in the temple with Simeon on several levels, but would like to consider what an encouragement it is for those of us who have been longing for and praying out to God for reformation and revival in the Church...
God had put into the heart of Simeon that he would not see death before he saw the Lord's Christ. Now, I've not had a sure promise from the Lord spoken to me, "You will see reformation and revival in the Church before you die," but God has put the longing to pray for those things on my heart and He continues to put that before me, to the point where I MUST pray. However, I must confess even though the Spirit is willing, the flesh is often weak. But I must also say that I have blessed to taste and see the firstfruits of revival, and cannot despise the day of small things.
Much like Simeon had been looking forward to the coming of the Lord's Christ, those of us who have seen and been grieved over the current state of the Church particularly here in the west have been led to pray in the hope that our Savior will return again with times of reformation, refreshing and revival to the valley of dry bones.
We are in desperate need of the Holy Spirit to be upon us like Simeon, so by faith and patience we might inherit the promises, that we might be strengthened to continue to tarry in prayer and seek God's face with importunity, to be watchmen who are crying out to Him day and night to rend the heavens, to plead for Christ's baptizing fire to fall again upon His Church (should His second coming tarry). O! that our Lord might keep us steadfast, immovable and always abounding in this work of the Lord – this work of prayer – knowing full well that our labor in Him is not in vain (~ I Cor. 15:58).
I'm going to include some of a personal account, which I first wrote earlier this fall, but which I've edited & expanded upon today. I present it here in the hope that God might use it as an encouragement to your souls, for I suspect you will have, if you have not already had, similar struggles. We are all prone to doubt, and we are all tempted to question and wonder what it is we are doing and what we should be doing, to the point of great discouragement and even to the point of being on the verge of quitting. The devil is the author of every type of confusion. And there are two things the devil does not want us as God's Church to be engaged in: prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). The Church can try any and all means, and we see so many congregations and denominations doing just that today, but the real battle and the real warfare starts when we are wholeheartedly engaged in prayer and the ministry of the Word, i.e. - when we are using God's ordained means of reforming and reviving the Church, it is then that the devil will do all he can to undermine us in any way he can. But our God has promised to equip us with all we need for doing His will:
What began troubling me were such questions as these: What has God promised in regard to a revival? And should I really be praying for revival? Is such prayer misguided, that is, are these desires and prayers all of my vain hope and my invention and imagination? What use is it? And so on.
Well, deep down, I knew it was not my invention. I knew I wasn't looking to pray for revival; it wasn't something I picked up, but rather God put it upon me. Yes, I'd read Lloyd-Jones and a few others about revival, but all of that hadn't impacted me. I was reading, but not understanding fully, though yes, I knew there was something to it. Plus, if this were my invention, I am more and more convinced that I would have long ceased to care about it or would have quit. The temptations have been far too great. But here I am keep getting called back to prayer for revival. I know my personality to be one that starts one thing and once I've gone so far with that, I can too easily put it down and start up again with a whole other thing. So certainly, it is no strength or stick-to-itiveness or desire of mine that is propelling me to keep praying for the same things over and over with no real change or visible result. God has given me this bone and anytime I start to turn away or anytime I try to toss it away, He tosses it back at me, and I MUST pick it up!
As Oswald Chambers wrote: "There is no other competitor for my strength!" The love of Christ constrains me! It makes no earthly sense to keep planting seeds and casting a net which bears no fruit. But when you are driven by the Spirit, you have a holy compulsion that is ever working to subdue the flesh.
And so, in short, the devil's plot to get me discouraged based on some recent circumstances has helped to firm up my resolve (well, the resolve is a divinely implanted one - Phil. 2:12-13).
But how refreshing it was for me to open up Payson's memoir, actually to a portion I'd already read previously, but I didn't really remember it until I started reading it – or else I might have picked it up to reread in conjunction w/ my reflecting on my recent disappointment. I am ashamed to say it, but I must confess how I found my frame was swayed and tossed about due to outer circumstances, so there I was once again being pulled down and choked by the mephitic air! And afterwards, almost immediately when it happened, I was grieved over my faithlessness and how despicable that was! And so I ran to the throne of grace, for I knew I had no other place to go - and I did have some sense of assurance come to me. One of the hymns I remember from my Catholic church upbringing came to mind, one I'd not sung or heard in a while:
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.
And with that I felt some relief.
I ended up writing about disappointment. The words came quickly and wasn't planing to write about it at all, though it was very heavy on my heart. I'd been rereading something a friend had written to me about Abraham, and then I pulled up the Matthew Henry commentary on my laptop and began to wonder: "Here is this man who has got the supreme assurances of God spoken directly to him, and yet, there he is asking for more!" And after that, I read these words of Matthew Henry:
That described my state: I found it hard to reconcile - O, very, very hard! The recent providence seemed to strongly disagree with God's promises! I often find it hard day in and day out . . . week in and week out. . . .
It makes me weep for I continue to see other saints who have no SENSE of the LIVING GOD and the REFRESHING He wants to provide. . . We have this fount of blessing, and it is bursting and meant to be shared freely among the saints, but how often are we able to do so? I know once in a while I do, and I can tell by the response, that there is a hearing but not an understanding of my words. . . For those who have not, it is just like speaking another language. Those who speak the language of Canaan do recognize the language of Canaan!
There are professing Christians who are thirsty, O! some of them are desperately thirsty, but they are not getting to the Living Water, and it grieves me to see that. I want them to get there and drink and be filled and satisfied and glorify and enjoy God there with us! The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Well, I tell you, no wonder the Church is in such a decrepit state: Is she crying out with the Spirit to come and drink? No, of course, not. And why not? BECAUSE SHE HAS NOT DRUNK DEEPLY OF THE SPRINGS OF LIVING WATER. How can anyone call another to a spring he's not known, much less not drunk of! Well, it's really impossible. . . .
But with that reminder from Matthew Henry, I began to fix my eyes on Jesus! – and on God's good sovereignty! – and was enabled to write:
With His truth gird up your loins
Turn from the seen, look beyond
Look away, look to your God
His providences may seem stern
But all His promises are firm
Every sheep called by His name
Hope does not put us to shame
God's love into our hearts poured out
Give Him the glory, do not doubt
That poem expressed some of my deep grief and recent disappointment, but with it a reassurance and a refocus on the invisible God in the midst of the continuing visible disappointments. ~ he endured as seeing him who is invisible. In the world we WILL have tribulation. And sad to say, even in the CHURCH we will have tribulation.
Now to those Payson excerpts (taken from Memoir, Select Thoughts and Sermons of the late Rev. Edward Payson, Volume 1 by Edward Payson (1783-1827) and Asa Cummings, boldface mine):
"Dec. 16 [1815]. Since the last date, I have passed through a greater variety of scenes and circumstances than in almost any period of equal length in my whole life, and have experienced severer sufferings, conflicts, and disappointments. Some time in February, I began to hope for a revival; and, after much prayer for direction, and, as I thought, with confidence in God, I took some extraordinary, and perhaps imprudent, measures to hasten it. But the event did not answer my expectations at all; and in consequence, I was thrown into a most violent commotion, and was tempted to think God unkind and unfaithful. For some weeks, I could not think of my disappointment with submission. There were many aggravating circumstances attending it, which rendered it incomparably the severest disappointment, and, of course, the most trying temptation, I had ever met with. It injured my health to such a degree, that I was obliged to spend the summer in journeying, to recover my health. This, however, did not avail, and I returned worse than I went away, and plunged in the depths of discouragement. Was obliged, sorely against my will, to give up my evening lectures, and to preach old sermons. After awhile, however, my health began to return, though very slowly. God was pleased to revisit me, and to raise me up out of the horrible pit and miry clay, in which I had so long lain; and my gratitude for this mercy far exceeded all I felt at my first conversion. Sin never appeared so odious, nor Christ so precious, before. Soon after this, my hopes of a revival began to return. About a month since, very favorable appearances were seen, and my endeavors to rouse the church seemed to be remarkably blessed. My whole soul was gradually wrought up to the highest pitch of eager expectation and desire; I had great assistance in observing a day of fasting and prayer; the annual thanksgiving was blessed in a very remarkable and surprising manner, both to myself and the church. From these and many other circumstances, I was led to expect, very confidently, that the next Sabbath, which was our communion, would be a glorious day, and that Christ would then come to convert the church a second time, and prepare them for a great revival. I had great freedom, in prayer, both on Saturday night and Sabbath morning; and, after resigning, professedly, the whole matter to God, and telling him that, if he should disappoint us, it would be all right, I went to meeting. But what a disappointment awaited me! I was more straitened than for a year before; it was a very dull day, both to myself and the church; all my hopes seemed dashed to the ground at once, and I returned home in an agony not to be described. Instead of vanquishing Satan, I was completely foiled and led captive by him; all my hopes of a revival seemed blasted, and I expected nothing but a repetition of the same conflicts and sufferings which I had endured after my disappointment last spring, and which I dreaded a thousand times worse than death. Hence my mind was exceedingly imbittered. But, though the storm was sudden and violent, it was short. My insulted, abused Master pitied and prayed for me, that my faith might not fail; and therefore, after Satan had been permitted to sift me as wheat, I was delivered out of his power; and. strange as it even now appears to me, repentance and pardon were given me, and I was taken, with greater kindness than ever, to the bosom of that Saviour whom I had so insulted. Nor was this all; the trial was beneficial to me. It showed me the selfishness of my prayers for a revival, and my self-deception in thinking I was willing to be disappointed, if God pleased. It convinced me that I was not yet prepared for such a blessing, and that much more wisdom and grace were necessary to enable me to conduct a revival properly, than I have ever imagined before. On the whole, though the past year has been one of peculiar trial and suffering, I have reason to hope it has not been unprofitable, and that I have not suffered so many things altogether in vain. I have seen more of myself and of Christ than I ever saw before: and can, at times, feel more of the frame described in Ezekiel xvi. 63, than I ever expected to feel a year since. The gospel way of salvation appears much more glorious and precious, and sin more hateful. I can see, supposing a revival is to come, that it was a mercy to have it so long delayed. My hopes that it will yet come, are perhaps as strong as ever, but my mind is on the rack of suspense, and I can scarcely support the conflict of mingled anxieties, desires and expectations. Meanwhile, appearances are every week more favorable, the heavens are covered with clouds, and some drops have already fallen. Such are the circumstances in which I commence the ninth year of my ministry; and surely never did my situation call more loudly for fasting and prayer than now.
In 1816 there was revival. And later on in 1822, there was another time of revival, during which Payson wrote on February 26 that
"I rejoice the more in this work, because it enables me to stop the mouth of my old adversary, and to prove to his face that he is a liar. I could not doubt that I had been enabled to pray for a revival these many years. Nor could I persuade myself, that Christ had not promised it to me. The essence of a promise consists in voluntarily exciting expectation of some benefit. In this sense, a revival had often been promised to me. And when it was not granted; when, one time after another, promising appearances died away ; and especially when I was left to such exercises as rendered it impossible that I should ever be favored with a revival,—Satan had a fine opportunity to work upon my unbelief, and to ask, Where is your God? what do you get by praying to him? and where is the revival which he has been so long encouraging you to expect, and to pray for? Now, I can answer these questions triumphantly, and put the lying tongue to silence. But the work is all God's; and I stand and look on to see him work; and this is favor enough, and infinitely more than I deserve."
Much like Simeon waited for the Consolation of Israel, Payson had prayed faithfully, and then his faith had become sight, and with it he knew the time of prayerful waiting had not been in vain and the taunts of the devil were all lies. Even if we may not be privileged to see revival in our lifetimes as Edward Payson did, if the Lord has called us to pray, we will be able to say with assurance, "I could not doubt that I had been enabled to pray for a revival these many years," and we can trust the Lord is only waiting to be gracious to us, that He might be more highly exalted, and so long as His second coming tarries, one day He will come again to revive His Church to His praise, honor and glory; and even at the sound of our cries, we know He is already very gracious and is already answering, though we do not yet see the answer (Isaiah 30:18-19).
My heart is definitely lifted now as I write, I have had so many blessings come upon me from the Scriptures in these past few days. I can't even begin to start to recount them, and I feel I can't take it all in, and I won't be able to do them justice at all. I feel so unworthy that He has continues to pour out so much to me. But one was Zechariah 9:8:
Consider who it is that is camping around us? And see how He speaks of His Church: MY HOUSE! And then, Heb. 3:6 - Christ being a Son over His house, and the end of Ephesians 2, etc.
And this from Matthew Henry:
We are in the midst of the enemy's country. No, let us say it: it is far worse, for the thorns have infested the flock of God, have they not? And yet we read the promises of God's continuing care for us, His little flock. He never fails to water the vineyard! Whoever touches His covenant people touches the apple of His eye!
Late last night I went back and began reading at the beginning of Zechariah and right there is the full assurance of God's jealous love for His Church:
And the same thing in chapter 8:
I don't think there's any more to be said. God's mercy and zeal and God's jealous love for His people is never changing and persevering!
And now, Whitefield's words, which I should plaster on my wall and on my forehead!
God has called us to cry out to Him day and night for revival, much as He called Simeon to wait for Consolation of Israel. The errand is not needless, though we are sorely tempted to think so time and time again, so long as we keep looking to the visible.
As the disciples were to go into Jerusalem and get the colt, when they would be asked, "Why are you loosing that colt?" Because the Lord hath need of him. And so, the same with us, "Why are you loosing your tongues in prayer to an unseen God for revival? BECAUSE THE LORD HATH NEED OF THEM. That's all we need to know, isn't it? He is a good Master, is He not?
I hope you will indulge me... once more from Payson to close, this being less than three months before his entrance into the everlasting kingdom in 1827:
O, Lord God, make us happy in You and surely we WILL be able to bear all things, to persevere in prayer through those dark and mysterious dispensations, and be more than conquerors and finish the race set before us with joy!
May God take these words and bless them to your soul's need today and strengthen you to persevere in the cause of Christ for the sake of His blessed name. May God strengthen us to uphold one another in prayer as we seek His face for revival.
~ your sister Karen
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