The greatest revival to ever occur in ancient Judah is arguably the one spawned by the rediscovery of the Law of God in the days of King Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:14-33). Ironically, the Word of God was found in the house of God. What a strange place for it to have been lost. God’s Law was gratefully found in the process of repairing the run-down temple, a task impossible to accomplish without the Word of God.

The run-down reputation of the church—the temple of God in the world today—is precipitated by the fact that the Word of God is lost within it. The contemporary church’s only hope of repairing its run-down reputation is its rediscovery of God’s Word. 

Contrary to popular opinion, the absolute truth of God’s Word is not something to be hidden in the church from the world’s view in these relativistic times. Though many a church growth guru espouses such a philosophy, arguing that it is necessary in order to avoid offending the sensibilities of today’s politically correct world, such an approach actually boards up the church by reducing it to irrelevance. 

As the sole stewards of God’s Word in the world today, what else do we have to offer apart from the life saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? What hope do we have of relevance or success if we hold back and hide from view the one thing we’ve been divinely commissioned to share with everyone in the world? Rather than concealing it, we need to bring it out in the open, publicly profess it and unashamedly proclaim it to others. 

When called as a leader in the restoration of Israel following the Babylonian Exile, Ezra went up to Jerusalem with nothing but the Law of God in his heart and hand (Ezra 7:6-10). Whereas today’s church mistakenly believes that it needs a million and one trinkets and trappings to pull off the hard work of spiritual restoration, Ezra understood that all it took was the Word of God in his heart and in his hand. 

If the saints are to be revived and sinners are to be redeemed, it will require the rediscovery of the Word of God in today’s church. Furthermore, if we are to be successful in the hard work of spiritual restoration, something more desperately needed in our day than in Ezra’s, then, we too must realize the one thing needed; namely the Word of God in both our hearts and hands!