The Creator of all things has made a promised based on a condition. This isn’t something He does very often. In fact, right off the top of my head, I can only think of a few other passage where He says do this and I’ll do that….One’s in Malachi when he says to bring the tithe into the storehouse and see if I won’t open the windows of Heaven and pour out such a blessing you can’t contain it. But this scripture has national consequences. Consequences that will affect future generations. Our children and grandchildren will directly benefit if we pray for God to heal our land. But there are conditions.
You may be like me and believe that The United States and all our leaders need to get on the right track with God or we’re all doomed. It’s easy to be discouraged and think we have condoned sin for so long that God is not interested in saving us from the coming judgement. Our country is just too far gone. It’s enough to get down right depressed about. But looking at this scripture again, in light of the whole Bible and what we know of the character of God, it should give us hope.
First of all….in this passage, in this scripture, God is addressing HIS people. Not the world. His people. People called by His name. That would be you and me! I don’t know about you, but this excites me. Why? Because it isn’t dependent on what the ungodly do, only what the godly people do. Us!!!
I can’t change the hearts of the ungodly people, only God can do that….and He is not expecting the ungodly to change the world. He is expecting us. That’s good news. So even tho it’s a terrible plight we find ourselves in, it doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. It only means we need to heed this scripture and do what God says. So what first?
He tells us to humble ourselves. We can’t fix the problems that face our nation. We have taken years to get to this situation and without the help of God, it will take years to reverse the damage. On our own, we are powerless to make the difference that needs to be made. We need the help of the only one who can offer true help. And we have to humbly ask for that help, to get it. Realizing our need for the help of God Almighty is the first step.
Next, we are to pray. Really pray. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Pray without ceasing. Be like the woman who would not take no for answer. Jesus said she aggravated the judge until he helped her. She stood her ground and pled her case and he relented and helped her. Jesus also said God is not like that. We don’t have to aggravate Him. Just ask. Ask and it shall be given unto you.
Fourthly, we are to seek His face. Do you remember the story of Moses? He had killed a man and was on the run when God called him to go back and lead His people. God said “the people seeking you have all died.” They were fervently after Moses. They were trying to lay hold of Moses. Those people were in pursuit of Moses and Moses had to run to get away from them. God wants us to seek Him like that. Don’t stop until we have lay hold of Him, face to face.
An episode of The Andy Griffith Show is on the TV and I just looked up to see this…
God wants His children to lay hold of Him, face to face. “Seek My face,” He says. Our relationship should be as close as Opie’s proverbial relationship to Andy. Even closer. What a thrill this would be to God if we sought to have this kind of relationship with Him. All of creation groans for us to take our place as sons……
Romans 8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship…
God wants us to be in our rightful place, as His Children. See the trust and confidence Opie has in his little face toward Andy? That’s what we will find when we seek God’s face.
And lastly, we must turn from our wicked ways. He didn’t say the world had to change…He said we, His people, have to change our ways. Is there strife in the church? Is there sin? Are we living immoral lives all week and going to church on Sunday? Do we love one another? Are we spiteful and selfish? Are we demanding our own way?
Or are we dying to self daily and seeking a revival “that begins with me”? We must if we ever hope to save this land and preserve this sanctuary for our children’s future.
I believe we are ripe for another Great Awakening. But we, the church, have to seek God for it. We have to change our ways. Instead of looking out the doors of the church at the sins of the world that need changing, we need to look inside the doors and do something about ourselves.
Only then will God hear from Heaven and heal our land. It’s up to us. Our future, our country’s future and our children and grandchildren’s future depend on what we do today.
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
Heal their land.
Oh, Lord, Let it begin with me.
