Everybody needs to be revived, to have new life breathed into them. It doesn't matter if that is in a persons work place, your sporting team, in their marriage or relationship. There are simple ways to work towards this but with humanity we are normally extremely shallow in work ethics or consistency. The other thing that holds us back is our pride, thinking it is wrong for us to ask for help or even call upon God for strength to continue on.
I do not believe that there is a 12 point system for you to follow when you are dealing with the things of the Lord. Let us look at Jacob who is also known as Israel. To his knowledge his favorite son Joseph was torn to shreds by a wild animal, imagine his feelings when they could not even find his body to bury. Then this ruler of Egypt keeps his son Simeon as a hostage & now he wanted his youngest son Benjamin. Then in Genesis 45 we read how Jacobs sons came back from Egypt saying Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." And Jacob's heart stood still, because he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father REVIVED! Then Israel said "It is enough Joseph my son is still alive, I will go and see him before I die.
Not many of us have had to live through the events Jacob did & I thank God for that, but we all have life experiences that take the wind out of our sails. Discouragement is one of the main tools of spiritual warfare that the adversity uses against believers. If he can get us to believe we will never succeed in anything we do, he knows he is a winner. Galatians 6:9 tells us to not become weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap "if we do not lose heart."
Joseph was a wonderful example of keeping on no matter what. First his brothers threw him into a pit & sold him into slavery (brotherly love--not.) Then he goes to Egypt & becomes a servant in the house of Potiphar the captain of the guard for Pharaoh. Potiphar saw something in Joseph & made him overseer of his house, not bad for a slave. Then Potiphars wife decides this good looking Hebrew should join her in her bed. He said "how then can I do this wickedness & sin against God!" Potiphar knew he didn't do it (if he believed it, he would have killed Joseph" so off to prison Joseph goes. Bummer, bummer, bummer!
Then just like Potiphar the keeper of the prison saw something in Joseph & committed all the prisoners into his hands. Then the baker & the butler of the king of Egypt asked him if he could interpret their dreams, so he said do not interpretations belong to God so he listened to their dreams. The bakers dream said he would be hung & he was but the butlers said he would be restored to his position. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Again Joseph could have got caught up in a major pity party but he did not, he continued to serve in his position in prison faithful, faithful, faithful in all areas (are we?) It took two years before the butler remembered him because Pharoah needed an interpreter of his own dreams. The long & the short of it was God used Joseph to interpret those dreams & because of it he became #2 man in all of Egypt, not bad for a Hebrew shepherd boy.
What was it that people saw in Joseph that encouraged them to put him in a place of responsibility? Continually we read in Genesis that "The Lord was with Him!" Even though he lived in a pagan society he remained faithful to His God, to the point others could see the difference in him. Let us hope we too can show the world around us our Savior through a life set aside for service unto Him. We are in this world but not to be of it.
Each one has their own path in life, bumpy as it may be & we may get off the beaten path & even go in the ditches of life but thanks be to God that He has a Holy Ghost tow truck that can pull us out of those ditches "if we will but ask & believe." We all have times of doubt & unbelief, that feeling of where did you go Lord, pick up His Holy Word & immerse yourself in it. This is the one way I know of to revive "to breathe new life into my soul!" Our hope, our very life, is in His most excellent hands. Know matter how good or bad things are going, God is still with you! Food for thought!
Ken Gorham a servant of the Lord
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