*Originally published to ECC on June 9, 2020
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 7:14
God gave this word to His people to tell them how to respond to His discipline. God had been teaching his people that when they sin he will send them troubles and pain and division. We should ask, when God send difficulties to us, how are we to respond?
Today we see difficulties in our society. Our country is divided. There is tension in our midst. Emotions are high and in such an atmosphere it is easy to start judging and blaming, contrary to what the Bible says (Matthew 7:1-2; Ephesians 4:1-3) How, then, should we respond in such a difficult time? As 2 Chr. 7:14 shows of the first actions we are to take as be begin to address the injustices we see today. It says, we begin by humbling ourselves. Rather than judging or excusing, let us ask ourselves if we have played a role in the injustice in our land. Is there any way in which our actions or inactions have contributed to or allowed injustice? Is there any way in which our attitudes have enabled injustice? The Bible not only speaks of acts by which we commit sins; it also condemns sins of omission, when we do not do what we should. It takes humility to self-examine and to confess where we have fallen short God’s glory.
Then, we need prayer to continue in humility, kneeling before God. It is easier to be humble with God. It is necessary because the heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). We need God to reveal our hearts and attitudes to us so we can confess where we are wrong. And we need to uphold each other in prayer, especially those we disagree with.
Next, being humble deepens when we seek God’s face. This means looking to conform to God’s will both in our attitudes, desires and actions. We need God to transform us, to put his will within us, especially where we have fallen short.
Finally, humility is completed when we repent or sinful actions or sinful inactions. In repentance we change our actions or begin to act in the face of inaction. If I or any of us has contributed to the injustices in our society, let us turn about face.
All this does not mean to say that we are all guilty in the injustices that have recently been made visible. But it does mean that God knows and we need to humbly kneel before Him honestly with Him for ourselves, each other. We all should prayerfully examine ourselves before we speak or act. Let us examine ourselves the same way David once did as he cried out against the unrighteous-ness he saw. In the same breath, he turned to plead with God, “23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Ps. 139:23-24. Otherwise, how do we know?
To look more deeply into turn to Nehemiah’s application of 2 Chronicles 7:14. He identified himself with the sin of the previous generation, as one with them. See Neh. 1:4-11.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor MacDonald