Revive

On the outside, it wasn't a dramatic shift.  

By the world's outward standards, the way I lived was not a problem.

"Scratch the surface, skim the depth of this life," they say.  Center on your comfort, center on your own peace, center on your own needs.  I bought into it. Merely passing through, a heart locked in the depth of my own selfishness, I stepped forward.

Moving forward into the world, slowly reversing my steps away from Jesus.

Filling the hungry pit of my soul with the empty gifts of a world that would never satisfy, I was only a shell intent on seeing the immediate reality in place of the eternal.  Intent on fixing the outward status of my life and being, I left the internal state of my heart guarded, locked, and ignored.

What could I be missing? I seemingly had what I thought I wanted. The warmth of comfort, friends who supported me, the promise of a successful future after college.  Progressing forward, my eyes were blinded.

What more could there possibly be? I had been living dead to God and seemingly "alive" to myself.  

Alive to my own dreams, my own desires, my own hopes, my own love of this world. Then I caught a flame that shifted my heart. You, Lord, put Your heart and spirit within me.

No dramatic change in appearance. That's what the world would expect for change to be brought.

No not this, Lord,

but a radical change of heart. A revival. 

Lowered into the depth of emptiness and distress, the beauty of promise now echoes in my soul.

Cracking a hard exterior to unveil a new creation in Christ,

Opening my eyes to the conviction of a calling so beyond my small existence,

Busting the heaviness of locked chains to release my soul into Your freedom,

Touching my heart and lifting me from the brokenness, I now fly with You alone.

You revive. 

Breathing the fullness of abounding love, filling my cup to overflow with the treasures of a Kingdom of beauty.  

Turning my eyes upon the mission of Your heart, I find new desires to fulfill.

To love this world with every breath that I breathe, 

to raise my voice to praise You on Your throne high above my life yet close to my heart, 

to pour out the glory of Heaven's treasures dwelling within my spirit into this world that You so dearly love.

God, it's all for You. 

I owe it to this world and to every single person around me to proclaim Your name Jesus. To show them the God whose love shakes the ground, whose heart breaks for each hurt we face, who so deeply desires for every one of you to know Your love. 

Lord, revive us. 

Breathe peace into the core of our being to guard us from the arrows that threaten.

Plant words of grace in our mouths to send out for Your children.

Piece our broken hearts together and unify our spirits to sing of Your works.

Break through our chains to reflect the freedom that abides only in You God.

"You revive me

            You revive me Lord
And all my deserts are rivers of joy
           You are the treasure I could not afford
                         So I'll spend myself till I'm empty and poor, All for You
                        You revive me Lord."

                    -Christy Nockels