Time to Seek the Lord

It was an environment of constant danger. During those troubled times, many soldiers throughout the American Civil War sought escape in vices like gambling and alcohol.  Anything to escape the constant threat of death. One Confederate soldier observed that “if the South is overthrown, the epitaph should be ‘died of whiskey.’” Sin appeared to dominate the camps of both armies.

Yet in the midst of this darkness, God began to move. In the fall of 1863, what has been called the “Great Revival” began in both northern and southern armies.

According to J. William Jones, a chaplain in the Confederate army, about 10 percent of the soldiers in the Army of Northern Virginia accepted Christ. Night after night troops participated in prayer meetings, worshiped God, and heard the Gospel proclaimed.

In the North’s Army of the Potomac, chapels became so full that “many men were frequently turned away.” It has been estimated that as many as 100,000 Confederate and 200,000 Union troops accepted Christ during that war.

These men were going through difficult times. In these kind of circumstances, it can appear that there is no hope. It can seem that darkness is everywhere, and that godlessness and sin are victorious. At times like these, as Zechariah said, we need to “seek the Lord.”

If God could send a revival during the Civil War, He can perform miracles for you, and take care of your problems. Commit your life, and your needs to Him. Trust that no situation is too dark or hopeless. Have faith. Ask Him. Believe. Seek the Lord! He can do anything!