Y Safle

“And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God…”

“Who knows if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?”

Joel 2:13,14

I recently heard of a group that was teaching that God’s blessing upon the western nations in revival was imminent. The teaching is not new, I have heard similar “prophecies” many times over years.

I certainly hope and pray that these words are true, and that God will pour forth his blessing upon his weak and feeble church, for she so desperately needs to know the Spirit of God once again in Pentecostal power. However, there is a condition which has not yet been fulfilled, and that is the condition of repentance.

“Rend your heart…for who knows if God will return…and leave a blessing behind him.”

The teaching is there, in black and white - if God’s church is barren and empty (and it is), and it needs to see his blessing (which it does), then we must rend our hearts. We must turn to God and repent and then maybe he will move amongst us.

Of course, I cannot promise God will do that. Anyone who says that revival comes when man has met all the conditions is in error. If we had to meet all of God’s conditions upon us we would never see revival, just as we would never be saved if we had to meet God’s Holy standard of perfection in our lives.

However, the one condition of repentance is essential. Let us repent and turn to the Lord our maker. Let us throw ourselves at his feet and cry out to him for his mercy, and then maybe he will return to his people.

Let us also learn once again the meaning of the old phrase “to plead the promises”. We do not name a promise and then claim it, but we acknowledge the sovereignty of our God, and we humbly come before him and plead that he might see fit to pour out a blessing upon us.

Our Lord is gracious, abounding in steadfast love and great mercy. Let us humbly come and confess our sins before Almighty God.