Revival By Affliction

Nobody likes affliction.
Except God.
Affliction pleases God because affliction brings revival.

In Psalm 119:154-160, David is in the midst of affliction.  And he asks God to "quicken" him three times.  The first time David asks God to quicken the joy of his salvation.

"Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word." Ps 119:154

'Deliver' means to redeem, to act as kinsman-redeemer, to ransom.  This verse speaks of God the Son as Kinsman-Redeemer, who ransomed me with His own blood from the destruction I earned as a sinner.  At the moment I trusted in Jesus Christ to save me, my dead spirit was quickened, or made alive.  I was born-again as a new creature with a new capacity to know, love, and obey God.

I don't ever need to be born-again... again, and neither did David.  So I don't believe that David is asking for salvation in this passage.  But he is definitely asking for something connected with his salvation.

I think the next verse clarifies it.  "Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes."  David is observing that the wicked peopel around him are not turning to God for salvation;  David is observing his fruitlessness.  David is not asking to be quickened as in "I'm dead in my trespasses and sins.  Save me".  He's asking to be quickened as in "I'm not bearing fruit.  Make me fruitful."

I can relate.  I can look back on my life and see seasons of fruitlessness.  And those seasons of fruitlessness - those periods of drought - were broken by affliction.  God brought a storm into my life before He allowed the rain to fall.

The affliction brought me back to the basics.  Back to a remembrance of my salvation.  Back to a joy in my salvation.  God used affliction to restore the joy of my salvation to me, and when that joy was restored, or quickened, a new season of witnessing, teaching, discipling, and bearing fruit commenced.  Thank you, God, for the afflictions you use to restore the joy of my salvation.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Psalm 51:12-13