Pastor James Conley

Hannah desperately wanted a child, but she wasn’t able to conceive.  Year by year went by, but to no avail.  Her husband was of no help.  She was mocked by other women, tormented in spirit, and left heartbroken due to her infertility.  Have you ever been disappointed?  Discouraged? Devastated?

 

Possibly, you have desperately wanted something: a healthy body, a godly marriage, a thriving family, a work promotion, a restored relationship, a good close friend.  Maybe you have looked around you and everyone else seems to have it together with full lives, fulfilled hopes and dreams.  And yet, you wondered why your life was so empty.

Eventually, after years of waiting, God answered Hannah’s prayer.  Because of that, she was filled with wonder and worship, saying:

 

“There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”

-1 Samuel 2:2 ESV

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Through the difficulty of waiting, of longing for a child, Hannah knew there was no substitute for God.  Nothing or nobody is able to do God’s job of creating something from nothing.  There is no one else who holds the power of life.  There is no other rock on which to build our faith.

 

There is no one else that sees and knows the worst of us and loves us anyway.  There is no one else who has a greater love for our deepest desires to be fulfilled.  He knows our dreams and can be trusted with these secrets.  There is no one else who is here to comfort, to guide, to teach, and help us through our despair.  Even when it feels like we are all alone, still he is with us.

 

There is no one else with the power to save us and pull us out of the depression of unmet expectations. . .

Because God is holy, he is always good.  He has the best of plans for all of us!

 

As you and I prepare our hearts for revival let us lean into the One who brings life into existence.  Let us remember how he has been faithful in the past, will be with us in the present, and will guide us through the future.  Come along with me on this adventure with the LORD. 

 

As we come together in revival, we are asking the whole church to a) commit to pray and attend the set meetings, b) give financially and sacrificially to the church for ministry and mission, and c) ask God to lay on your heart whom you might invite or reach out to bring to the revival meetings.  Then, call on God to meet you with a revived spirit.  Ask him to restore to you the hope of salvation.  Be refreshed in body, in soul, and in spirit as we give ourselves to the LORD.

 

What happens beyond revival?  We walk in faith, in hope, and with love.  We know this year that we will go through some challenges in leadership, in worship, and in our structures.  Yet remember, the LORD is holy, perfect, and there is none besides Him.  He is the rock that founded our faith, our church, and we are to take this good news out to the community, to our families, and our neighbors.  We can do all things through Christ Jesus our Lord!  To God be the glory!