DO!

DO!

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 KJV

The Context and Focus:

As we read this very popular verse again, it is good to remind ourselves of how Solomon and Israel got here. Solomon had been made king, and as directed and provided during the reign of David his father, Solomon had been able to build a lovely temple, as well as an imposing palace. We read of the prayer of Solomon, asking God to open his eyes upon the temple he had built, and that as often as Israel will come and pray toward the temple, that God would hear, forgive and heal. It is very interesting that Solomon did not mention all the 22,000 oxen or the 120, 000 sheep he had offered to God as sacrifices. As good as this was, it was not the stuff to move God's hand here. If God leads me to make sacrifices, at least not with blood nowadays, I must make them as led, but they flow from a heart that is open and receptive to guidance and leadership of God. I don't use sacrifices and activities as bribes to catch God's attention; I first seek to know, follow and obey Him, then every other thing falls into place. I must get the order right: obedience before sacrifice. Saul didn't understand this, and it cost him the kingship, as well as any dynasty or legacy of any kind in Israel.

The Message:

God came to Solomon, and indeed confirmed he had heard the king's prayer. God said he had chosen the place for Himself as a hosue of sacrifice, not of blood this time, but of a different kind, as we see in each part of the verse above. In God's house, God's prescription for access and success must be followed, if I want to have the end result as promised. First, we see the word HUMBLE. The man who will make acceptable sacrifices and be heard by God must be humble. There is no place for pride for the one who wants to approach God. Pride makes one think you are bigger than what you really are; God opposes such people, and God help you if God is the One fighting you. To whom would you appeal? Then we see the words PRAY and SEEK my face. This means I actually open my heart/mouth and actually talk to God. It is one thing to complain and moan about what is going on around me, and if that is all I do, it will make no difference. In the face of the realities that I face, God will expect me to make an approach to His throne of grace and just pray to Him. He is a Father, and he loves to hear the heart-cry of His children. Praying and seeking God's face take time and effort, and is not something to be rushed.

The Conclusion:

Of course, there is also TURN which demands a change of direction and focus.i cannot keep doing the same wrong thing over and over again, and expect that the consequences will change. God has no favourites when it comes to sin, and His promise is to punish it no matter in whom it is found. When all the above are in place, the promise by God is that He will hear, he will forgive and he will heal the land. We demand God to hear and heal, yet we are not willing to make the sacrifices required for that to happen. We want to hold on to familiar tokens and practices because they make us comfortable. We want to continue down the familiar path of sin, but the Word of God already makes it clear that we cannot continue in sin and expect grace to abound. God forbid. It is time to make the sacrifices required for God to move in our lives, society and nations. He will not come if we don't invite Him, and he cannot dwell where sin thrives. What sacrifices am I willing and ready to make to see God move today? God's time of favour is here.