“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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
When Winston Churchill became prime minister of Britain in May 1940 he observed that the world was staring “into the abyss of a new Dark Age.” In less than six weeks Nazi armored divisions had swept virtually unopposed through Norway, Denmark, Holland and Belgium and had hopelessly encircled the remaining Allied fighting force in the small French fishing port of Dunkirk.
On May 23, 1940 – barely two weeks after Churchill took office more than 400,000 British and French soldiers were trapped on the shores of northern France a sitting target for the relentless German artillery and airborne bombing campaign that had been dispatched to finish them off. It was on that day that leading politicians and newspaper editors joined with King George VI to issue a call for a national day of prayer to be held on the following Sunday, May 26.
The effect was dramatic. Within 24 hours, Hitler inexplicably ordered his infantry forces to halt their advance, while the heavy sands and tides absorbed the brunt of the Nazi shelling.
Here in today’s passage , God tells Solomon that the Temple would be a place His people could come and be assured that their prayers would be heard if they honestly and humbly would seek God.
It seems today we are looking in so many places and involved in so many church activities that we seldom find time to meet with God one on one, not in any particular place, but within our very hearts. God is not so far away, He’s as close as you want Him to be. I look around me and see so much sorrow, so much hopelessness and yet the most popular response, the best we can do is nod our heads and say, ‘Yeah, things are getting bad” and we walk away without giving God the opportunity to show what He is able to do, if ……we would only call out His Name for help.
So often, we fix our own hurt on circumstances that revolve over other people’s lives. Momentarily it helps relieve the pain we are suffering through. And yet, the real healing we need seems unattainable simply because we refuse to admit we need God’s help.
“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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
It is the Lord’s desire to help us get better by letting go of the things that incumber us that we would entrust all our burdens to God to not only work them out, but to bring us victory and healing in the areas of our lives where Satan may have established a stronghold.
Just like the Winston Churchill example, he saw that there was only one who was able to free them from the enemies surrounding them, and that was for the people to unite in prayer and ask God to deliver them. God did deliver them, and brought a great healing in places they never imagined they ever needed healing; in their hearts.
I found it interesting that God in His power and authority over all His Creation used the wind and the sands to turn back the multitude of attack from Hitler and his armies. Not too surprising, since God’s Word tells us that “He holds the heart of kings in His own hand” God can change any situation in a heartbeat…..if we would only heed to His plea and return and ask Him for help.
God requires three things from us to bring about a complete healing in our lives, Humbleness, Prayer, and Pursuit. You can’t get to ‘Seek’ without first getting to ‘Humble’. Humbling ourselves requires that we recognize the restraining power of our flesh that resists anything to do with God helping us, let alone heal us.
The fact of the matter is our flesh doesn’t think it needs any healing. It is and has been under the assumptive delusion that sooner or later “everything will work out…..don’t sweat it.” This can be very dangerous if we allow it because it is contrary to what the Word of God teaches us in regards to our relationship with God. When we allow the flesh to dupe us into thinking that everything will work out on its own, we are reasoning with ourselves in a carnal understanding of our situation not a spiritual understanding.
With a carnal understanding, we leave out God where His Power and Authority over all things is the only way it will work together for good.
When we humble ourselves before God, we are admitting we need healing, we need His power to do it, we need His resources to help us, and bring us victory over the flesh, that in turn will make us stronger for the next battle. Seeking God doesn’t require much effort, He promises us that when we call out His Name, He will be there for us. “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end ”
And so when we admit we need help, (Humbleness) and turn away from the mess in our lives and turn to Him, and ask Him. (Prayer) we arrive at the pursuit of God. Seeking Him. It’s no small wonder that when a child is scared, who does he cry out for? The neighbor? Of course not, that child calls out to the Father or Mother, because he knows that they are always there to help, and comfort. That child pursues his safety net. In the same way, we need to seek God as our Father.
Finally God requires us to “turn” from our wicked ways. Turn away from defeat, turn towards perfect healing and victory.
This promise is true still, to this very day, if we would just take the time and let God have His perfect way in us.
Jesus is the one who we can call upon today, right now, this hour, when we are in trouble. He says in Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three gather in My Name, there am I with them.”
What a great blessing and what a powerful gift for us today! We know that when we gather with believers and humble ourselves before God and seek His presence He will hear us.
As we celebrate the birth of our great nation July 4th why not take the time, to pray not only for our own healing, but for this country. Remember, God loves America, it’s the sin that He hates and is ready to forgive us, and bring us victory over the darkness of these times, over the wiles of the devil, over the delusion over our flesh.
Here’s Today’s Video, Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnQDW-NMaRs
Walking the Berean Road 