“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.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
What I’m about to write isn’t so deep-I’m actually stating the obvious. Sometimes we just need a reminder, so here it is. Although we are all His creation, we are not all His children nor His people. His people are those who are committed to Him, devoted to Him, associated with and related to Him through the blood of His precious son, Jesus Christ. And it is we… His children, those devoted to His agenda, His will, His purpose and pleasure… we are the ones that have the pull. WE HIS PEOPLE are the ones who can effect change in the land through our obedience to scripture.
So often we read the aforementioned scripture and we want “everyone else” to get it together. We want people to PRAY and turn from their wicked and hurtful ways. And we want them to do it in a hurry. We sit on our pedestals watching with disgust, what we consider animalistic, racist or hateful behavior. The question is, are we expecting better from the right people? OR…….are we looking to people who haven’t the perspective, knowledge, relationship with Jesus Christ, or conviction to be or do better? It is the Holy Spirit of God who empowers us under duress to be humble, prayerful, reflective and repentant. How realistic is it to expect Godliness from those who don’t know Him? Forget realistic, it isn’t scriptural!
In the wake of the dismissals of police brutality, no… MURDERS in Ferguson (Michael Brown) and New York (Eric Garner) many are angry, agitated and exasperated. Countless cases that haven’t been given the same media attention are surfacing and multitudes are in a state of trauma. Many are angry with law enforcement, angry with rioters, angry with politicians and angry about everything they were already angry about before the onset of these incidents. Many were already spiritually, mentally and emotionally oppressed. Anger, disappointment and rage are flowing across the land like a tidal wave. Yet… [Holy] Spirit led people are just that. They don’t burn down their neighborhoods, choke people who are helpless and outnumbered, run over innocent people in the street, burn down businesses in their communities, disrespect law enforcement… I could go on. My point is, people on both sides of the law are hurting, twisted, confused, wrong and in desperate need of a Savior that will warm their hearts, bring peace to their lives, transform their minds and empower them to make better choices and decisions. Until this happens, what power and pull (with heaven) do we really expect them to have? The responsibility is ours.
This is a CLARION CALL to the BELIEVERS!!! Yes, the believers and the believers only- His people… the ones whose land He will heal if we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways (we have them too). He promises our sins will be forgiven and our LAND and all it encompasses will be healed. Zion, we have work to do. We have praying to do. We have seeking to do. We have repenting to do. If we can just stop being astonished (why are we even surprised), offended and disgusted long enough to beat our chests and pray, repent and seek, we WILL see results. It’s in THE BOOK, therefore I believe it!!! Will you pray with me?