In the year 1949, in a small cottage by the roadside in the village of Barvas, there lived two elderly women, Peggy and Christine Smith. They were eighty-four and eighty-two years old. Peggy was blind and her sister was almost bent double with arthritis in her back. Unable to attend public worship, their humble cottage became a sanctuary where they met with God. To them came the promise: "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground," they pleaded this day and night in prayer. One night Peggy had a revelation, revival was coming and the church of her fathers would be crowded again with young people! She sent for the minister, the Rev. James Murray MacKay, and told him what God had shown her, asking him to call his elders and deacons together for special times of waiting upon God. In the same district, a group of men praying in a barn experienced a foretaste of coming blessing. One night as they waited upon God a young deacon rose and read part of the twenty-fourth Psalm: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord." Turning to the others he said: "Brethren, it seems to me just so much humbug to be waiting and praying as we are, if we ourselves are not rightly related to God." Then lifting his hands toward heaven he cried: "Oh God, are my hands clean? Is my heart pure?" He got no further, but fell prostrate to the floor. An awareness of God filled the barn and a stream of supernatural power was let lose in their lives. They had moved into a new sphere of God realization, believing implicitly in the promise of revival.
When the movement was at its height, Peggy sent for Duncan Campbell, asking him to go to a small, isolated village to hold a meeting. The people of this village did not favor the revival and had already made clear they weren't getting involved. Duncan explained the situation to Peggy and told her that he questioned the wisdom of her request. "Besides," he added, "I have no leadings to go to that place." She turned in the direction of his voice, her sightless eyes seemed to penetrate his soul: "Mr. Campbell, if you were living as near to God as you ought to be, He would reveal His secrets to you also." Duncan felt like a subordinate being reprimanded for defying his general. He humbly accepted the rebuke as from the Lord and asked if he and Mr. MacKay could spend the morning in prayer with them. She agreed, and later as they knelt together in the cottage, Peggy prayed: "Lord, You remember what You told me this morning, that in this village You are going to save seven men who will become pillars in the church of my fathers. Lord, I have given Your message to Mr. Campbell and it seems he is not prepared to receive it. Oh Lord, give him wisdom, because he badly needs it!" "All right, Peggy, I'll go to the village," said Duncan when they had finished praying. She replied, "You'd better! And God will give you a congregation." Arriving in the village at seven o'clock they found a large bungalow crowded to capacity with many assembled outside. Duncan gave out his text: "The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." When he had finished preaching, a minister beckoned him to the end of the house to speak again to a number of people who were mourning over their sins: among them, Peggy's seven men!
Duncan Campbell said there was as many as six-hundred at the church when he went back that night. He struggled getting to the pulpit because of the vast numbers of people at the altar and in the floor laying prostrate weeping out to God. Someone came to him telling him that there were about two-hundred or so at the jail, looking for someone to explain the terrible feeling of conviction that had overwhelmed them. Over a hundred had bolted out of a dance because of the power of God. And you must remember there was no advertisement of what was going on (no radio, newspaper, internet, phone, etc.); people just came. There was no explanation for what was going on, other than the supernatural power of God. Duncan Campbell said all down the side of the road, on his way to the jail, people were kneeling, crying out to God for Him to save them! That's revival!
The Hebrides Revival didn't start with a preacher; it didn't begin with a big name evangelist. It began in the hearts of two elder women who loved God and were deeply concerned with the spiritual condition of their community! It began in the hearts of some working men who were seeking God in an obscure barn. You can move the hand of God too, but it will require more than just an occasional "polly-wanna-cracker" prayer that has no heat and no heart. You may have to do like the Smith sisters and start praying from early afternoon until two and three in the morning, but it will be worth it when it comes!
Let's pray for revival!
Pastor David Lamb
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