We need to acknowledge the part revivals play in God's plan as we take a broader look and see them appear in places outside of the Church. Progress, we see, occurs through revival. Any progress is like the incoming tide. Each wave is revival, going forward, receding, and being followod by another. To the onlooker it seems as if nothing is gained, but the force behind the ebb and flow is the power of the tide. So it is with the nations. One will rise and carry human progress to a zenith. Having done so, it falls back, and another replaces it. Thus, the progress of humanity is continued through successive revivals.
The same is true in all realms of human expression. When new discoveries are made, the scientific outlook captivates people's minds and other areas are put on the back burner. But nothing can totally dominate the mind. The initial force eventually lades. After making its contribution to human knowledge and making life better by its discoveries, the movement gives way and is replaced by another in a different area.
Each outburst has its own characteristics and direction, but its nature is revival. There is an excitement in an area, a gathering of energy to leap forward, and when its strength is spent, it recedes. This is even seen in commerce. Trade depressions are succeeded by trade revivals, and in the world market there is a constant ebb and flow.
In all this, we can see God's wisdom. Revivals are necessary to push humankind to higher planes. If progress were uniform, with all aspects of life improving at once, advancement would be so slow that life would stagnate. There would be no high hopes, no eager rush forward. Progress would be imperceptible and men and women, robbed of aspirations, would give up the fight. By the breath of fresh life, God keeps the world active and keeps the heart fresh with hope. In God's purposes, no part of human nature is left unrevived. Each revival is needed for helping human nature. Their order is God's secret, the equilibrium is in His hands. Behind the ebb and flow is the unrelenting tide of His redemptive purposes. He it is who said, "Let all the world look to me for salvation!" (Isaiah 45:22, TLB).
