Many of us have heard about the revival that broke out at Asbury College in Kentucky.  It started with a normal chapel service but the worship music spontaneously kept going with others joining until the town couldn’t hold the visitors.  Worship, prayer, and confession overflowed.  Young people with hearts for lifting God up and getting right with him sparked a new awareness of  God not only in that location, but it is spreading to other campuses.  It shouldn’t surprise us that God is using young people for his new work in our nation which has drifted so far from him.  

The Bible is full of stories of God’s own people forgetting him, but eventually being called back by young leaders.  The cycle went like this: God’s blessings of abundance and peace were taken for granted and the people became complacent and stopped meeting for worship and teaching.  Then they quit doing the right things that God had commanded and did what they wanted.  This always had bad results!  God isn’t arbitrary in his requirements.  He asks us to do what is best for us so we will thrive and be truly happy.  The farther away from God his people got, the worse their lives were. Finally, a leader, often a young leader would call them back to God. They would bow in humble repentance and commit to gathering for worship and teaching from Scripture. The people would start obeying the principles God had given them.  They would stop marrying unbelieving mates and acting like their ungodly neighbors.  They started giving so that some of the men could dedicate their time to worship music, teaching, and other parts of public worship services.  They obeyed their spiritual leaders who prodded them to obey God.  Then the people felt happy in spite of the challenges in daily life because they knew God was with them.  And in due time they prospered.  But then the cycle started again.  They got comfortable and drifted away from meeting together for worship and teaching.  They got self-centered and started taking advantage of others.  They didn’t prioritize giving to God.  Eventually, a leader would call them back to God.  This leader was often young, and not necessarily in a high office.

“The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this:
“I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.  I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”  Isaiah 57:15

Samuel was still a very young boy when God gave him his first prophetic message of rebuke for the ungodly behavior of the priests who were taking advantage of the people instead of being examples and teachers of godly living.  He was a child and certainly didn’t have an official title.

David was a teenager when he defeated Goliath.  He showed the whole army of Israel what it meant to call on God and trust him for victory.

The prophet Jeremiah was about 20 years old or younger and a nobody when God appointed him to call the people back to loving him.

King Josiah was 26 when he commissioned the restoration of the Temple.  There, the forgotten Scriptures were found and when he read them, he was cut to the heart that he and his nation had left God’s laws.  He repented and then read the scroll to the people who also repented and agreed to obey God.  Then he demolished all the myriad pagan articles of worship including an idol the people had been sacrificing their babies to and the shrine prostitution places.  

Years later, King Hezekiah was 25 when he restored the place of worship, the Temple, which was being used for pagan rites.   He brought all the people together to worship and led them in leaving their evil ways and committing to obey God. 

John the Baptist turned his nation back to God in preparation for the Messiah, Jesus.  He was in his early thirties when he was martyred.

Jesus himself was only 30 years old when he began his three-year ministry of telling his nation how to get right with God which ended in his willing death to atone for the sins of his people and the world.

John the disciple was the youngest of the disciples and especially close to Jesus.  In later life, he wrote part of the New Testament.

Timothy was so young as he led churches that some people disrespected him.  Paul advised him about this problem, “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.”  1 Timothy 4:12

God doesn’t disqualify people because they are too young.  In fact, often he uses young people to sound the call to return to God and leave destructive habits.  As older people, we must honor the younger people God uses for this important work.  We mustn’t poo-poo the efforts of the young.  Instead, we must encourage and support them in the new work God is doing through them.

“Now restore us again, O God our Savior,  Put aside your anger against us once more.
Will you be angry with us always?  Will you prolong your wrath to all generations?  Won’t you revive us again so your people can rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people.  But let them not return to their foolish ways.
Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory.”  Psalm 85:4-9