“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Can you imagine what the Garden of Eden must have been like? Before sin entered into the world, all things were perfect. However, when we look at our land now, it can easily be seen how sin has left its ugly stain. In America there are 95% to 97% that profess to believe in God. Despite this belief abortion continues to rise, homosexuality and fornication increases, death and destruction appear to have no end in sight as the moral decay of the nation continues to spiral downward. What is God’s remedy to the problem of moral decay in a nation? It is not through politicians, it is not through new programs, manipulative speeches, education, or financial growth. God points for His people to repent! Why do God’s people need to repent?
There is a lack of humility. “Shall humble themselves”. Many of God’s people do not read His word, nor submit to it. God is calling for His people to humble themselves. Why, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. If we don’t humble ourselves God will do it for us! Remember Jonah running away from his evangelistic responsibility, God humbled him. Will you humble yourself? God’s promise for those that humble themselves is that he will lift you up. In God’s economy, God will resist the proud hearted and welcome the humble hearted. Perhaps that is why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
There is a lack of pray “Humble themselves and pray”. When God’s people don’t pray, what they are saying is that they don’t need God. One normally doesn’t talk to people what he does not know, and the reverse is true. Sometime back a professing believer shared that he did not see the efficacy of prayer. Jesus prayed and He was the Son of God, the Apostles prayed and they walked with the Master, what is your excuse if you have a prayer less life?
There is a lack of seeking God. “seek my face”. I’ve heard it well said that many seek the hand of God but Jesus sought God’s face. Jesus sought His Father many early mornings, when everyone was sleeping, he was seeking. Mark writes, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place.” Jesus spoke with His Father. I picture that Jesus not only prayed, He listened to his Father’s voice, early in the morning, late at night, and sometimes all night he sought the Father. Like a thirsty traveler crawling through a desert seeking water, Jesus went alone to a solitary place. When one seeks God, one seeks His face, and upon seeing His face one seeks His will. Seeking God will result in seeking to do His will.
There is a lack of seeking the lost. “and turn from their wicked ways” What could be a more heinous crime for God’s people than to fail to warn the unsaved about Judgment Day and the horrors of Hell and then watch them go to Hell? Most of the church has taken a vow of silence and do not speak to lost people about the things of eternity, the truth of Jesus Christ. We must turn from our wicked ways.
There is a Condition. “then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” There are two types of promises, one’s that is unconditional, and the other that is conditional. The IF…THEN…is the conditional one, which God speaks at the end of the above verse. If we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, then God will bestow forgiveness and healing upon our land. If we don’t do it, God will not grant forgiveness and healing.
Until the nets are filled…Blessings, Pastor Phil <><
He Has Magnified His Word 