UNBLOCKING THE WELL OF THE LIVING WORD

The view of a rainbow over Barvas at the start of the day reminded me of God’s covenant faithfulness to Noah and to every living creature for all future generations. I was also reminded that Barvas is a place where he sought and found covenant friends in 1949. God is a covenant keeping God.

The Firestarters team here at Barvas began the week on Monday focussing on Joshua 1 and a number of themes emerged as we met in our family groups. A key verse for me was “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land.” As the 100+ group of teenagers and staff worshipped, when we were asked has anyone got something burning on their hearts that they have to share, one of the Firestarters shared he was impressed by the story about Mephibosheth who David shared kindness with, because of his covenant with Jonathon.

In the afternoon, Rev Dougie Wolf, the minister of the church of Scotland told us about Peggy and Christine Smith, and the devotion of those two prayer warriors who commited to pray for the youth of Barvas in 1949 and prayed twice a week between 10am and 4am. Attached below is a recording of Rev Dougie Wolf’s message to us and his prayer at the site where Christine and Peggy Smith’s cottage once stood.  

Now the site is just a pile of stones, but the site has been bought by Christians who want to make into a house of prayer. I was reminded later in the day that Lou Engle says in “Digging the wells of revival” that God is seeking covenant friends, and references 2 Samuel 9:6-7. “Jonathan and David were bound together not only for their life times but beyond the temporal into the eternal. Generations were blessed because of their covenant. Years after Jonathan had been killed in battle, King David remembers his friend. His heart is deeply moved because of the great love they had shared. Suddenly the covenant he had made with Jonathan comes to mind. He remembers his oath. “The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.” 1Samuel 20:42b. So David asks “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul, to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan sake.” 2 Samuel 9:1. When he is told that only one of Jonathan’s sons remains, a crippled man named Mephibosheth, who in the natural is totally unqualified to sit at the kings table, David ,from his passion of his love for Jonathan shows kindness to Jonathan’s son.. and says” I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul and you will always eat at my table

Applied to today..is the Lord asking .. Is there anyone still left in Barvas, in Scotland, in the British isles.. that I can show mercy to for the sake of the Lord’s covenant friends in Barvas in 1949? Lou Engle says “because God is a covenant God those with whom he makes a covenant become His special friends, and He makes a distinction between these special friends and other people. He backs up these covenantal friends like no others. Who are these people with whom he is eternally bonded? They are men and women of all ages choosing obedience over popularity . They are every upper room gatherings throughout history that has opened the heavens through prayer they are every holy club such as those started on the college campuses by John Wesley and George Whitfield there every low love and worshipper pouring out his or her preference on heaven.”

Malachi witnessed God’s response to a band of radical worshippers. “His was a covenant breaking generation. In Malachi 3 we see how God writes a scroll of remembrance, and he records the names and deeds of those who have stirred his heart. He remembers what they told of his heart and just what evokes remembrance responses from the heart of God?.. in a word devotion.”

He says “ the pulling on the cords of God’s heart through remembrance prayer appears to be an important gift, God has given us to bring revival to our land. Just as a mother cannot forget the baby had a breast, so God cannot forget those whom he has loved and to whom he has boud himself. His memories of them are engraved on the palms of His hands and every time he looks at his hand he remembers with deep feeling the love and sacrificial devotion.”

PRAYER

Joshua stepped up to the plate.. he responded to the Lord’s encouragement, “Just as I was with Moses so I will be with you.. and cause you to inherit the land.” Lord.. we are that next generation Lord .. we long to inherit the land that you have given us. So.. Lord Jesus we thank you for your covenantal devotion to us through laying down your life at the cross for us and we thank you for your covenant friends, Peggy and Christine Smith here in Barvas. For their sake Lord would you rend the heavens and come down. You stepped down from heaven in 1949. Step down again. You poured out water on the thirsty land in 1949. Pour it out again, today we pray!