REVIVALS HAPPEN IN TIMES OF DISTRESS

I have been thinking about this during these last few weeks, praying that God will use this time of worry during lockdown, to bring people closer to himself so that they will not be afraid.

Then a few days ago, I saw a short film on Horatio Spafford. (on youtube, amazing Grace, 5 hymns that changed the world).

He was a wealthy man. A Lawyer in a large company and an investor in real estate in Chicago in the spring of 1871.

Everything was going really well for him. Then suddenly in October 1871 things changed. A huge fire destroyed most of his properties in Chicago. After a couple of years. He decided to take his family on a trip to London to cheer them up. At the last minute, Horatio was unable to go for business reasons, so he sent his wife and four daughters on saying he would come later.

During the voyage, the ship his family were on was struck by another ship in fog, and it sank very quickly. His four daughters were drowned, but his wife survived.

On his voyage to be with his wife, their ship passed over the spot where his daughters were lost, and he felt the deepest loss of his life. Then suddenly he felt the spirit of God touch him, and on the journey, he wrote the poem ‘It is well with my soul,’ which became a beautiful hymn.

He and his wife went on to have another son, and three daughters. His son died of scarlet fever aged three, after which Horatio changed direction, because he still felt the grief and he felt unsupported by the church and their church community.

They began to host prayer meetings in their home and moved away from material success. They moved to Jerusalem and worked to help the people there – in Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities.

He died in 1888 from Malaria and was buried in Mount Zion cemetery in Jerusalem.

What I find amazing is that when he was in the deepest distress and grief, God made his presence felt. And Horatio took that comfort and wrote it down so that millions of people around the world were able to use it to reach out to God. God used the evil that was meant to harm him, into something beautiful for the good of all. I also believe that God used the tragedy of his son’s death to catapult Horatio into Jerusalem where he was needed and where he did great things for the people living there. Even in the darkest times, Horatio never forsook his faith - Amazing!

This is easy to say when you haven’t been through it, but if we allow God to work in us, especially in times of tragedy, He can revive our faith, strengthen our spirits and do amazing things through us which confounds and defeats the devil.

I hope that nothing happens to anyone you love, but if it does, don’t allow the devil to win. Keep hold of your heavenly Father who loves you and knows exactly how you feel – He has been through it too! And he will use everything for good.

The devil has lost. He just can’t accept it and will do anything to turn you away from Jesus so that you will not be saved on the last day.

Keep your eyes on Jesus as your example and your redeemer and he will not forsake you ever!  (Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 37:28, Psalm 94:13-15, Hebrews 13:15). And pray always for a revival in your spirit and in the whole church of God, so that many will be saved.

This is how I understand my God.

Read for yourself, see what you think.