2 Chronicles 7:14
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.
In my travels around the Atlanta area lately, I’ve noticed a trend on several church signs.
You know, these are the signs outside churches with the name of the church and perhaps the pastor’s name and times of services.
Some of these signs have room for a message that can be changed periodically. Sometimes daily, weekly or whenever.
I’ve even noticed some very fancy digital signs like big screen TVs with scrolling messages or beautiful pictures, and animation, etc.
I like to read these signs as I drive along the way to my appointments.
I even find them entertaining from time to time. One said, “Tweet others as you would like to be tweeted.” Now, in my opinion, that’s just the highest form of humor, when you combine church humor with a Dad joke! My children would probably disagree!
Another sign I saw gave me a chuckle and had a good message to boot. It said, “Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driving if you want to meet Him.”
But lately, I’ve noticed that many churches have the same sign. It reads simply: “2 Chronicles 7:14.” Sometimes the whole verse is spelled out.
I’ve seen several signs with this verse lately. Too many to be a coincidence. Now, I realize that this is a popular verse and is certainly applicable for us at many times in our lives, and I’ve seen it on church signs before. Just not this many at the same time.
When God wants us to get a message, He has many ways of getting it across to us. His Spirit works in the hearts of His children.
I’ve seen this happen with ministers, when several preachers for a few weeks or months at a time will be led to preach on the same subject. This may be God using His ministers to deliver a particular message He wants His people to get at that particular time.
So, maybe God is leading these church members all over the place to have a common message on their signs. Maybe He’s saying to us, “Hey, listen up!”
Maybe He wants to remind us at this moment in time to humble ourselves and pray and to seek His face and to turn from our wicked ways.
I would say that anytime is a good time to do this, to follow the instruction of this verse.
And, we need it more than ever now in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the civil and racial unrest, and the riots in our streets.
Let’s break this verse down a bit.
First, God is addressing “my people, which are called by my name.” This instruction is for His people. Today, this is the elect of God, the children of God, all of those people who call on the name of the Lord, who believe in the Father and His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Also notice, that this is a conditional statement. It begins with “If.” If my people which are called by my name will do [thing A], then I their God will do [thing B].
That sounds like a promise from God to me. If you do this, I will do that.
Now, I like that. Give me something to do that I can do, and then I know what I will get for doing it.
Sounds like a good deal to me.
If we, the people of God will:
- Humble ourselves
- Pray
- Seek God’s face
- Turn from our wicked ways
Then, God says He will:
- Hear from heaven
- Forgive their sin
- Heal their land
Notice that every one of the things in this list is an action. You actually have to do something. Some 4 things on our side. And, if we do them, God has promised to do 3 things on His side.
The order of these is important. You can’t do the other 3 until you humble yourself.
One of the most important things we can learn to do as a child of God, is to understand our place and God’s place. We are sinners. God is holy.
Our proper and really only stance before God is one of humility, knowing our place before a holy and righteous God. If this is a 4-step program, we cannot do the other 3 steps until we do the first one. We must first humble ourselves before God first.
The second is a natural follow-up to the first. If we truly humble ourselves before God, then we should very shortly find ourselves on our knees in prayer, asking, begging Him for grace and mercy and for His help in troubling times.
The third goes hand in hand with the second. When we pray, we should seek God’s face, we should seek God’s will, and when we pray according to His will, He will answer our prayers.
1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
The other condition is an important one. We need to examine ourselves, really examine ourselves. What sins do we need to repent of. “Turn from your wicked ways.” That’s repentance. To repent is to turn and go the other way from the way you were headed. Make a 180 degree turn in your life. Turn from your sin.
If you are being unforgiving of others, you need to get right with that. Unforgiveness is sin. Turn from it.
Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus also says that contention between you and a brother or sister can prevent you from being able to worship, including prayer.
Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Peter also admonishes husbands and ties their behavior to their prayers being answered.
1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
If we do all these things: humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, turn from our wicked ways, there is a great promise from God.
And, one we could certainly use today and everyday.
God promises that He will hear us, forgive us, and heal our land.
What a blessing. What a great God!
Let us go to him on our knees and do these things that He might heal our land.
May God Bless You.
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