We
may ask for right things—indeed, best things—and for what God wants to grant,
and not get them because He sees it will not do—it would be furthering us in
our selfishness.
God,
most certainly, wants to give revivals
when oftentimes he cannot. When a young
lay-preacher, I was invited to a good New England town to hold a series of
meetings with a prominent church. It
seemed a good chance to do something.
The society was strong and the situation in the community seemed to be
one that promised a good time.
I preached
faithfully for a week or more under seemingly favorable circumstances—fine
congregations, good attention, divine aid—but I could seem to bring nothing to
pass.
One night I
requested that, when the service should be over, all the members of that local
church should remain after all others had left the building. This they did. I then said: “God is certainly with me. He aids me in preaching, helps me in public
prayer and in my private devotions. Our
meetings are good as to attendance and attention, but no results in salvation;
we do not seem to be doing anything.
What is the matter? If it is with
me I must find it out at once and get right, or go home.”
There
was silence. It seemed long. It certainly was oppressive. At length a young man, prominent in the life
of the church, arose, and with not a little emotion said: “It may not be my
place to speak, but I must. To me the
situation is this: Our church has a commanding place in this town and has
prospered in the years past. Of late we
have not been holding our own with the other churches. Our congregations, while good, have dropped
off some, as has our Sunday School; and our finances have not been up to the
usual.
He
said, “If we can have a revival it will call attention to our church, fill up
our Sunday School, increase our congregation and help our finances, etc. I deplore all this, but I must state this as
a confession of my own soul as a man and as an officer in this church.”
He
was hardly done when another said substantially the same thing, as did several
others. There was a genuine spirit of
confession and humiliation before God which was striking and searching.
Of
course God was pleased. The Spirit came
and the revival was on in good earnest—a multitude found God in the next few
days.
--Rev. Charles Fowler, 1912
