Happy Friday!
One word to describe the season I find myself in: Revive
A few definitions that capture the meaning are:
- to bring or be brought back to life, vigor, consciousness, or strength;
- resuscitate or be resuscitated
- to give or assume new vitality
- to return a flourishing condition, flourish again
- to make or become operative or active again
If Revive is my word, than You Revive Me by Christy Knockles is my theme. Outwardly I have always been vivacious and ready for anything, but in last two years or so no one saw what inwardly was happening to me: bouts of depression, apathy, stunted growth, and a lack of desire all upon me. I felt like a potted plant neglected by it's keeper. And yet God was so gracious and kind, and contrary to my lack there of, He filled me with joy. Continually! And moments when that ugly cloud came over me, He'd bring to remembrance scriptures that comforted me. Not once did God leave me alone, or forsake me. The Holy Spirit kept His promise to be my helper.
May of this year God spoke loudly and clear to me words that were precisely what I had been desiring to hear from Him: I will revive you. In the past few months I have sensed the hand of God doing just that.
I've been reading A Path of Suffering by Elisabeth Elliot, and she references plants a lot. A growing plant cannot remain in a pot for various reasons: it will create a growth stunt,a complacency of some sort, it will cripple, it will wither, and it will die. A plant needs room for it's roots to spread and it needs pruning. He has taken me, a potted plant, and planted me in His field where I can return to a flourishing condition.
New vitality.
God is doing really exciting things in my life right now. And there is no where else I'd rather be.
May of this year God spoke loudly and clear to me words that were precisely what I had been desiring to hear from Him: I will revive you. In the past few months I have sensed the hand of God doing just that.
I've been reading A Path of Suffering by Elisabeth Elliot, and she references plants a lot. A growing plant cannot remain in a pot for various reasons: it will create a growth stunt,a complacency of some sort, it will cripple, it will wither, and it will die. A plant needs room for it's roots to spread and it needs pruning. He has taken me, a potted plant, and planted me in His field where I can return to a flourishing condition.
New vitality.
God is doing really exciting things in my life right now. And there is no where else I'd rather be.
You Revive Me, Christy Knockles
If you find yourself in a loss of vitality, vigor, or strength these following verses will help recharge you. Or it could be that you can relate more to that of a stunted growth in your walk with God, these verses are a great prayer guide to get you flourishing again. And if you have that dreadful cloud of depression over you and feel inoperative, these verses will be a great source of encouragement, comfort, and of hope for you. What ever your season may be, God is with you and He will revive you! May your deserts be rivers of joy.
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.Psalm 71:20
Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land. Psalm 86:6-9
My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word. Psalm 119:25
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. Psalm 119:37
Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth. Psalm 119:88
I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.Psalm 119:107
Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles. Psalm 119:50
I rise early, before the sun is up;
I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
I stay awake through the night,
thinking about your promise.
In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry;
let me be revived by following your regulations. Psalm 119:147-149
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15
