Early in my educational career, I made the decision to focus on psychology. One of the first classes (other than introduction to psychology) that I took was Social Psychology. It was by far one of the most fascinating classes I have ever taken. Our professor was brilliant, and served as an expert witness on a regular basis. One of her most frequent lectures was on why intuition could not exist. However much I loved her and this class, I struggled with what she argued.
As I continued through my education, and then moved into my professional career, the struggle became greater. My education demanded fact. I needed to have proof to reach a conclusion. My career (working in psychiatric residential services) demanded I rely on intuition, because waiting for data driven confirmation meant the bad outcome had already happened.
I have to imagine that William P Mackay, medical director and author of Revive Us Again, was in a similar situation. He grew up in a home with a devout Christian mother, but did not believe in God. As the story goes, as he left home to attend college, his Mother worried he would stray even further, and gave him a Bible with his name in the front. While in college, Mackay fell in with a rough crowd, began drinking, and sold his Bible to buy more alcohol.
Years later, as he was treating a patient that was dying, Mackay tried to find ways to comfort his patient. The patient only wanted "the book" from his house. Arrangements were made and the book was brought. After death, a nurse approached Mackay about the book, asking what to do with it. Mackay didn't know anything about it and asked to see the book. As soon as the nurse handed it over, he realized this was his Bible, sold so many years ago. Mackay rushed back to his office, accepted the Lord as his Savior, and wrote Revive Us Again.
While I have always loved this hymn (and all of the lyrics are beautiful), the last verse has always stood out to me:
What beautiful lyrics! A request for each one of us to be filled with love from the Heavenly Father, and for each soul to be set ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
There is something else, however, that is striking in context to Mackay's profession. Revive is defined by Merriam Webster to mean:
Dear one, we are all in need of revival. We need God to breathe life back into our souls.
Will you join me in prayer?
God, we come to you, humbled, admitting that we are broken. Without you, we are not alive. We are in need of resuscitation. Lord, we ask that you revive us. Breathe life back into our souls. Refresh our spirits and set our souls on fire for you. Remind us that You did not just share Your love that we might be saved, but that we might share Your love with all we meet, so that they may also be revived and know the gift of limitless love and eternal life with You.
Revive us again.
As I continued through my education, and then moved into my professional career, the struggle became greater. My education demanded fact. I needed to have proof to reach a conclusion. My career (working in psychiatric residential services) demanded I rely on intuition, because waiting for data driven confirmation meant the bad outcome had already happened.
I have to imagine that William P Mackay, medical director and author of Revive Us Again, was in a similar situation. He grew up in a home with a devout Christian mother, but did not believe in God. As the story goes, as he left home to attend college, his Mother worried he would stray even further, and gave him a Bible with his name in the front. While in college, Mackay fell in with a rough crowd, began drinking, and sold his Bible to buy more alcohol.
Years later, as he was treating a patient that was dying, Mackay tried to find ways to comfort his patient. The patient only wanted "the book" from his house. Arrangements were made and the book was brought. After death, a nurse approached Mackay about the book, asking what to do with it. Mackay didn't know anything about it and asked to see the book. As soon as the nurse handed it over, he realized this was his Bible, sold so many years ago. Mackay rushed back to his office, accepted the Lord as his Savior, and wrote Revive Us Again.
While I have always loved this hymn (and all of the lyrics are beautiful), the last verse has always stood out to me:
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
What beautiful lyrics! A request for each one of us to be filled with love from the Heavenly Father, and for each soul to be set ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit.
There is something else, however, that is striking in context to Mackay's profession. Revive is defined by Merriam Webster to mean:
To restore to life or consciousness, give artificial respiration to regain consciousness · recover consciousness · come around, come to life, regain life, consciousness, or strength, give new strength or energy to, restore interest in or the popularity of, or improve the position or condition of.
For a physician, revive is a very special word choice. It is an acknowledgement that God is our Great Physician; He promised a revival that cannot be matched by even the greatest physicians in this world in Ezekiel 37:13:
13 And you shall know that I am the Lord,
when I open your graves,
and raise you from your graves,
O my people.(ESV)
Will you join me in prayer?
God, we come to you, humbled, admitting that we are broken. Without you, we are not alive. We are in need of resuscitation. Lord, we ask that you revive us. Breathe life back into our souls. Refresh our spirits and set our souls on fire for you. Remind us that You did not just share Your love that we might be saved, but that we might share Your love with all we meet, so that they may also be revived and know the gift of limitless love and eternal life with You.
Amen
In Love, JSB
We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Savior,
And scattered our night.
All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.
All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.
Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
http://www.cobblestoneroadministry.org/2007/SermonStory_William_P_Mackay_FaithfulnessOfGod.html
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