Run After God With All Your Heart
Among the magazines we publish, we publish one called Brush Arbor Quarterly which focuses on revival, prayer, worship and other Christian living topics. It’s amazing to me that, when people ask me what it’s about and I tell them, their response is often to say, “Oh” and walk on, the impression I get being that that’s not what they’re interested in.
I read about past revivals and how hungry people were for the Word of God, how greatly they desired to see their sin so they could repent. Unfortunately, America today is as far from that as possible. Conviction doesn’t feel good and so they stay as far away from it as they can. If someone tries to challenge them on something, that’s one person they’ll begin to avoid. Why have we become so hard-hearted?
Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) I think I’m beginning to see what He saw. Where are the bold warriors who are ready and willing to stand up for what they believe? Do people know what they believe any more? Are we “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14) or are we well-studied when it comes to Scripture so that we can discern the difference between lies and the truth?
Years ago, a song came out titled “Run After God With All Your Heart.” That is my challenge to each of us today. If we truly believe that life is short, we know that we cannot keep living life the way we have been. If we are not running toward God, we are running away from Him. There is no middle ground when it comes to Christianity. Christ said that he would spit out lukewarm Believers. (Revelation 3:16) I believe that means He has no use for them and I don’t know about you but I want God to use me as much as He can in the time that He gives me on this earth. I am not here just to take up space but to truly serve Him with my whole heart and to encourage others to do the same. I want to see others become full of the Spirit of God and, yes, I’d like to see revival come to our nation. There are way too many “revivals” which do not produce revival of the heart. Christianity is not an experience but a lifestyle.
Brothers and Sisters, are you moving toward God or away from God? Do you still feel His peace, joy and love or are you beginning to feel a void and an emptiness? Do you love God because everything is going well for you or have you been able to honestly say with Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”? (Job 13:15)
It’s easy to use the excuse, “Well, nobody’s perfect” but believe me we can do a lot better than we are. If everyone around you can’t tell that you’re different, I would venture to say you’re probably not and, if we are ever going to see revival, we are going to need people who are willing to be different–people who would rather pray than watch TV–people who see each person God brings into their lives as someone who needs the Lord. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing. What matters is that our eyes are on God and what He’s doing and what He desires us to do. Let’s not just sing “Stand up for Jesus”; let’s actually do it.
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