In Genesis 35, Jacob led his family in a “revival” in which they put away foreign gods and purified themseles.  But “revival” is not merely putting away sinful gods and practices – it has a positive end.   After he admonished his family to cleanse themselves, he said in :3, “and let us arise and go to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God …”.   The repentance and purification of Jacob’s family was not an end in itself; the goal of their revival was that they might worship the one true God.

Many people seem to miss the mark regarding revival; they focus on what they are to turn away from – and there is plenty we need to repent of, certainly!  But for too many that seems to be the whole extent and focus of revival, which is a serious mistake.  Revival is not just what you turn away FROM; it is WHO you turn TO! 

It is GOD who is to be our focus.  We were made to worship Him, and were commanded to have no other gods before Him.  But like Jacob’s family, we need revival because we have not worshiped God the way we should have; we have replaced Him with idols and lesser things.  What many think of as “revival” – the putting away of sins and false “idols” — is just the PRECURSOR to real revival.  They put away all kinds of ungodly practices, but then fall short, by not then giving themselves wholly to the worship of the One True God, Who Himself is the goal and end of our existence.  Real revival ends in worshiping God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  Don’t settle for “half measures.”  Turn FROM your sins and idols – and then, most importantly, turn TO worship God with all your heart!  It is God Himself  Who is the goal of revival!