I suspect that we universally recognize our world wide need for renewal, revival, and change, but misguided efforts can damage us further. Authentic renewal can only come from Yahweh God. Otherwise, we are attempting to substitute a worldly attempt to replace the divine. Worldly promises will always fail given enough time.
Willem Van Gemeran stated that Psalms 51: 7-12 forms a prayer for restoration. Renewal contains three components. The prayer for forgiveness is first. For genuine revival to come, one must realize a problem exists. Every great revival has started with the realization that we are sinners. The Bible calls this repentance, or the act of turning away from things that displease God to embrace a lifestyle that pleases Him.
The Psalmist then asks for a heart of joy. The Bible makes it clear that pursuing fun just for the sake of fun is misguided. Rather we must pursue a right relationship with God (John 17:3, Romans 5:1) out of which, comes joy.
The third component to authentic renewal involves wisdom which leads to divine favor. We cannot embrace worldly wisdom, which is arbitrary and baseless. In other words, we have turned from sin and can now see clearly to find true Identity in life (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Proverbs 9:10).
We must each stand before the Lord and give an account. Biblical Wisdom and authentic renewal lead a person to realize the time is now while we have an advocate in Christ Jesus. (1 John 2:1, 1 John 3:4). One day soon He is returning as Judge.
Willem A. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991), 381.
