Repent
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.
This verse is rich. Many times it seems as if we, including myself, look at things and point out all the bad things that are going on. Politics today are as corrupt as they have ever been and I don’t know who to trust or believe. I look at it and say surely I could do better or any one would be better than what we have.
Let us consider the verse above. First I want to point out who it is talking to. I think this is always important to consider when we read something. Is it talking to me or someone else? Here it is clearly talking to his people. Those that go by his name, those that He chose before the foundation of the earth, those that have faith in him, those that feel themselves in need of a Saviour, that is who He is talking to. Is that you? I don’t know but I think the only person that each individual can apply this verse to is to is themselves. If you feel like YOU fall under the afore-mentioned category then lets move to the next section.
If I will humble myself. Humble is an amazing word. What does it take to humble ourselves. To be humble is marked by meekness and modesty, it means to see ourselves as less than something else. This is saying that we need to realize that God is ALMIGHTY God! We shouldn’t claim things or powers as our own that have been given to us as gifts. The same person that has blessed this country for so many years, (GOD), has the ability to take those blessings away. Read Romans 13:1-5, it tells us our rulers are ministers of God. Romans 13:4 But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid: for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. I bring this up because, we live in a nation of freedom. We vote in our rulers so we naturally think that they are under us. I seem to always want to look at what is going on and blame it on the rulers when the Bible clearly tells us that it is our own fault. To truly humble ourselves we need to quit trying to place the blame on others and take it upon ourselves and say this is what my actions are bringing upon me.
Then it tells us what to do next. It says to pray and seek my face. What does it mean to seek my face. I desire that there be a healing in the land, but am I willing to give up the things necessary in order to see his face here in this land. We as Americans are so blessed that we allow our blessings to be a god, or idle to us. Christmas time to me is the perfect example of this, if we look at what Christmas is, in action, not words, then we would see that we are laying gifts down to a tree so that we get things that our flesh desire. We are teaching our kids that when it comes to “CHRISTmas” as so many want to call it that it is all about kids getting what they want. The premise was to help those in need, I’m sorry to say that we are at a point in time that we, Americans, want way more than we need. Yes I’m sorry that things is what we want, why do we import way more than we export, because we want everything that everyone else has. Sounds like coveting to me. So the way that Christmas has become is that it is okay to covet. I don’t like it. Are we willing to give up things that our flesh desire in order to see HIS face. Are we willing to give up ourselves in order to bow down to HIM and worship HIM. It is a hard saying, but if we are unwilling to do it now I believe with all my heart that we are in for some chastisement. But if we do these things I believe that he will keep that which He has promised and He will heal our land.
Lets all quit trying to place blame on our leaders and take the blame upon ourselves individually and pray and seek his face, ask Him to heal our land and repent of our sins. It is not going to be easy but I am ready to see a land that seeks him and his righteousness willing to forgo the things of this world to be closer to Him.
Tim A. 4:06 am on January 13, 2012 Permalink |
Amen!