Virtually all Alma Pond pics were taken with a hand held camera from a 9 foot short kayak. Alma Pond is a favorite place in the mornings for renewal. It is a secluded place, about a 10 minute drive from my home. As an amateur photographer, the pictures are included to support the message of the blog, not vice versa.
Psalms 63:1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
What is the level of my desperation for God? In Psalms 63, David was desperate; King Saul was pursuing with his army to kill him. So David thirsts after God who had shown himself faithful in the past. David experienced God’s deliverance many times over his lifetime.
Since 2020 our nation has been shaken by various medical, economic and political events. This is not the time for us to focus on the storm—I believe God is in charge of history. Of course there is a battle raging now; my call is to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
A central premise of this blog is that our region and nation is in need of a spiritual awakening. The First Great Awakening with leaders such as the Wesley’s (John and Charles) and George Whitefield swept Britain and its thirteen North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century in the United States.
What is the difference between a Spiritual Awakening and a Revival? As used in these blog posts, Awakening is the more general term. Many people throughout the region awaken to God. Revival is the bringing back to life what was nearly dead. Re-vive. Revival in the church is certainly part of the big picture.
Hard times call us to seek God, it’s our choice. The battle is real, don’t quit. God’s resurrection power shows up at the right time. Will we live with desperation and expectancy for God to meet with us powerfully?
This blog is a call for a spiritual awakening that touches all. Am I desperate enough to address my own shortcomings and seek God? How much do I want to see God move and transform our region? Will we continue in prayer until God rends the heavens and comes down? Isaiah 64. God wants to come in our darkness and bring light in our midst. Will we prepare for him?