"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
I read this scripture the other day and although I have heard it all of my life, I read it in a different light. Following a Bible study I am working through called, Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore, gives more insight to this scripture and brings up a point that I would like to delve into. It also seems to come at an appropriate time since the recent events in America are causing much concern.
In her Bible study Beth Moore says, "Natural persons have no means by which to be truly victorious over sin. They are driven solely by their own natures. We should not be surprised at the depravity that surrounds us. I am somewhat puzzled by a common attitude in today's church. We believe that abortion clinics, godless school districts, pornographers and the like are hindrances to revival in our land... God expects unredeemed people to sin. Revival has nothing to do with unsaved people. If God's people would humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways, then this nation would be healed in spite of every bar, every gambling hall, every gang, and every crack house."
There will always be sin and sinful things. It has always been around and will always be around. Quite honestly History has seen darker days. So we must stop blaming sinful things and places on the lack of revival in our land. We must like the scripture above says, humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways. Revival is our responsibility!
In that passage of scripture God is speaking to Solomon after the temple was finished. We always focus on the famous verse 14 but what comes before it is even more interesting. Verse 13 says, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, If my people who are called by my name..." God is saying to Solomon no matter what happens outside of this temple if the people pray and seek God's face he will hear them, forgive them, and heal their land. In the same since no matter what is going on outside and around us we must do what God commanded the Israelites to do. Only then will we begin to see a healing in our land.
The Bible oftentimes shows us that consequences of one man's actions affects his whole household and land. Take Abraham for example, when he followed God's guidance to move, it did not just affect him but his whole family and eventually a whole nation of people! Over and over in the Old Testament God attributed a person's actions to their whole family and household! After the walls of Jericho fell the people of Israel were not to take anything but Achan took some spoils of war for himself and when Joshua found out, Achan and his entire family and even his animals and tent were burned with fire and stoned with stones. (Joshua 7:25). Around that same time Rahab saved her entire family and household after the fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:25) because she was faithful and hid two spies that were sent by Joshua to spy out Jericho before they conquered it. God knew how just one person's actions could affect a family or an entire group of people negatively or positively. If we follow God's guidance just image the impact we can make in our own families and nation as God's people!
We have a job to do! Lets stop feeling hopeless and defeated. Sin will always be around and terrible things will continue to happen because of sin. However, if we do nothing about it then we are the ones to blame for a lack of revival. So just in case you did not hear it enough above, turn from your wicked ways, pray, humble yourself in God's presence, seek his face and watch the healing and revival begin!
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