If They Would Humble Themselves and Pray…
If They Would Humble Themselves and Pray...
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:13-14
Have you seen this Bible passage recently?
I have. I’ve seen various memes on Facebook and articles written which quote this passage. I used to see it occasionally, but, now that we are in the middle of a pandemic, I see it even more.
It seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? There is a pestilence on our land called COVID 19. The solution is everyone has to humble themselves, pray, turn to God, and stop all the evil stuff. If we do that, then God will remove the coronavirus.
Is this passage relevant to today or to the United States?
We love to pull Bible passages out of context and claim them as our own, but without context, we can misunderstand the Bible pretty badly. This particular passage is between God and Solomon right after the building of the Temple in Jerusalem was completed. It was a message for Israel.
It’s interesting that when I see this passage quoted, people point out the command to humble themselves and turn to God, etc. However, they leave out the two verses that follow.
“Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.” – 2 Chronicles 7:15-16
If we read it all together, then we would not only have to humble ourselves, pray, etc., we would need to do it in the Temple in Jerusalem. It has been destroyed, though, so that’s going to be difficult.
So, What Does This Passage Tell Me?
This passage is a promise for a particular people. God treated Israel differently than He did other nations and the reality is America isn’t Isreal.
What we learn, here, is the kind of God God is.
- He is a Jealous God. If His people forsake Him and worship other gods, He will send famine and pestilence to discipline them and bring them back to Him.
- He is a Merciful God. Even though His people forsake Him, if they repent, He will forgive them and heal their land.
- He is an Accessible God. God sanctified the Temple as a place where His people could come and pray and He would hear them.
These are eternal attributes of God. They are still relevant, today, for us.
The Church, Not the U.S.
If you want to make a stronger direct association with something, today, this passage would better fit when applied to the church than the U.S. It’s still not a perfect parallel as the church is not a nation, but the Church is God’s people. God promises to hear us when we pray. If we turn from Him, He will work to bring us back (think of the parable of the Good Shepherd). When we return, God shows us mercy on us, forgives us, and heals the church.
So, yes, we should turn to God in humble repentance. We should do that whether there is a pandemic or not. We should also be confident that God will not seek us out when we wander and that He will show us mercy when we repent.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for your love and mercy. When we in Your church go astray, please seek us out and bring us back, even through discipline. We know that just as a loving father disciplines his children, Your discipline is love for us.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
Looks Like It’s Time to Pray
Looks Like It's Time to Pray
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” – Romans 12:12
When was the last time you asked someone to pray for you?
For me, it was yesterday. It was a rough day. So, I texted my wife and asked her to pray for me. I didn’t text her and ask her to pray for me the day before because that day was pretty good.
Most of us do something similar. When things start to go south, we start to pray and we may ask others to pray. When things are going pretty good…maybe not so much prayer.
Be Constant In Prayer
In Romans, God says to be constant in prayer. Verse 12 starts with rejoicing in hope. Then it tells us to be patient in tribulation. It follows that by saying to pray constantly. In other words, if whether you are rejoicing or suffering, pray.
Keep Asking for Prayer When You Suffer
It’s fine that we ask for prayer when we suffer. In fact, it’s really good and it’s Biblical. However, have you ever had a friend who only calls when they need help? You may be happy to help, but you probably think, “It would be nice if you called at other times, too, so I can celebrate with your joys or just hang out.”
Pray When Things are Good or Even Just Normal
God wants us to pray all the time, not just when things are bad. He’s happy to help in times of difficulty, but He’s also happy to celebrate with you and just spend time with you.
So, is it time to pray? What’s going on in your life? If you thought, “It doesn’t matter, it’s still time to pray,” good.
Now, let’s pray.
Heavenly Father,
You are there for me in good times and bad. Remind me to spend time with You in good times and bad.
Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
I Want a Car and A Beach House and a…
I Want a Car and A Beach House and a…
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” – 1 John 5:14-15
Have you ever been disappointed by not receiving what you prayed for?
We probably all have. We ask for something and God doesn’t give it to us. The title of today’s devotion talks about things like cars and houses, but this can happen with all kinds of things…
- Jobs
- Getting married
- Having a child
- Kids being more obedient
- Healing from an illness
- The list could go on.
So, what is going on? Maybe we figure that requests like expensive cars or money might be selfish, but some of the things we have prayed for are good things.
The Magic Word
When I was growing up, I remember being told to use the “magic word” when asking for something. That word was, “please.” I recently have been teaching my 3 year old about that word. He’s gotten better about saying, please, but he’s also started to think that it’s a guarantee to get what he wants.
“I want that toy.”
“No, you have plenty of toys. We’re not getting you another toy.”
“Please!”
It’s as though that word should make his will irresistible. We have to explain that while we’re glad he remembered to say, “please,” the answer is still, “No.”
Sometimes we treat prayer like my son treats the word, “please.” I said, “In Jesus Name,” God, You have to do it.
Is God being unfaithful?
When we read passages like this and understand them as telling us that we can ask for anything and God has to do it, we misunderstand the passage and try to make God into a magic genie.
Notice the in the passage the words, “according to His will.” In John 14:13-14, the same thing is intended by saying, “ask in My name.” It’s kind of like God saying,
“If you ask Me for something that I want to give you, I’ll give it to you.”
Nothing Can Stop Him
The message being conveyed is very different from, “I’ll give you whatever you want.” The message is that nothing can prevent God from giving you what He wants to give you. It’s a message of assurance and power. God can and will deliver on anything He intends to do or give.
The Sad Misunderstanding
When we understand these passages (or worse, when they are taught by pastors) as God promising to give us whatever we ask, we set up a sad situation. Inevitably, we will not get everything we ask for. Then one of two things will result:
- We think God is a liar.
- We think we must not “have enough faith”
Either result is bad.
The Comforting Understanding
On the other hand, when we understand that God is saying nothing can stop Him from doing what He wants, that results in comfort, assurance, and peace. Rather than leading to greed or selfishness, this leads to trusting in God and good and perfect will.
Heavenly Father,
You are mighty and sure. Your will is good and perfect. Help me to trust in Your will that I may say along with Jesus, “Not my will but Thine be done,” knowing that Your will is best.
Amen
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
