Rebuking the World’s View: Can God’s People Be Trusted?
Ask yourself the following, can the natural man humble himself and pray? Does it take an act of God for the believer to prostrate themselves and beseech our Lord? True conviction, transparency, broken and contrite hearts usually stem from more than a guilty conscience, but from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This week our Devotional Team will tackle the subject, “The Climate of Our Country and the Christian” which is sure to stir up our thinking about our walk in this world.
SCRIPTURE: "If my people, who 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
The Lord is clear about what it will take to “heal the land”. The Bible says, if God’s people who are called by His name will humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways then God will heal the land. Those are very detailed instructions with a very clear answer. The problem with this directive is I’m not sure if God’s people can be trusted to do what is needed!
When the world was struck with a pandemic of epic proportions, believers were heard quoting 2 Chronicles 7:14. Ironically, the world has been there before. When the AIDS epidemic hit, people quoted the same verse. Ironically, the world is in another tailspin of epic portion. However, it looks very different from COVID or AIDS. The belief that a person does not have to listen to what others say, even God, has become a problem. There is political unrest on American soil (January 6 insurrection), there is deliberate lawlessness on the streets of the United States, there is fighting and name calling amongst the country’s elect, there is an arrogance that says, “I don’t care how God created me, if I don’t like I will change it! Who’s going to stop me?” and there is a blatant disrespect and disregard of God’s Word and Percepts. Unbelievers and some believers are thumbing their nose at the Lord while expecting a miracle. The views and opinions of the world have changed. The political climate of the country no longer reflects the upward view that the Lord has directed. The world has spoken and has decided that, “In God We Trust” is for losers and they can and will do whatever they want, while believers silently watch. Many believers are complicit in the new way of the world. Watching from the sidelines praying, “Lord, please don’t put me in.”
For centuries, 2 Chronicles 7:14 has been quoted and many have never really paid attention to the meaning of the verse. Complicit believers pleading for forgiveness despite the world’s rebellion because mercy and forgiveness belong to God (Daniel 9:9). Where is the call to action? It is there in 2 Chronicles 7:14. So, what happened? Has God’s people, who are called by His name failed to humble themselves, failed to pray, failed to seek God’s face, and failed to turn from their wicked ways? Emphatically, yes!!! More than ever, it seems that believers are turning away from God. For this reason, I must ask, can God’s people be trusted? Some days I don’t even trust myself. I realize that prayer without ceasing means having to pray in the moment so that I can resist the devil; that humbling myself means coming to You broken and asking for forgiveness of sin; that seeking Your face means truly taking the time to know You, love You, and follow You; and that turning from my wicked ways means literally changing behavior. So I ask you, can God’s people be trusted to do what is necessary for the land to be restored without yielding to the Holy Spirit? No, Church family. We must yield!
Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive us for losing hope at times and for not trusting You. Forgive us for worrying about what other believers aren’t doing and still not standing up for You and Your precepts. Forgive us for being cynical, laxed in our prayer life, afraid to stand and sometimes even growing weary of continuing to do right. Without repentance (humbling ourselves), prayer, true desperation for You, and actively living godly the world will not be healed and we will see more droughts, more disasters, more famine, and more pestilence. Lord, thank You for our relationship where You speak directly to us and remind us that we are to endure to the end. I realize that the godlier we live the more the world will hate us (Matthew 10 and John 15). Thank You so much for Your Word, Lord! I ask You, Lord, to help Your people, that You have called, that You have set apart to stand, endure, and to live godly despite what we see around us. Lord, please protect us in these dangerous times, give us the strength to stand, take away all fear when the world, our friends, and family turn against us. Protect us Lord as we pray for restoration of the land and as we set out to speak the truth to a world that hates the truth and seemingly hates You. Thank You, for Your protection and Your provision during these times. Thank You, Lord, for Your Son, Jesus Christ who died and rose so we might live. In the matchless name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
By Sis. Pat Towns
When the world was struck with a pandemic of epic proportions, believers were heard quoting 2 Chronicles 7:14. Ironically, the world has been there before. When the AIDS epidemic hit, people quoted the same verse. Ironically, the world is in another tailspin of epic portion. However, it looks very different from COVID or AIDS. The belief that a person does not have to listen to what others say, even God, has become a problem. There is political unrest on American soil (January 6 insurrection), there is deliberate lawlessness on the streets of the United States, there is fighting and name calling amongst the country’s elect, there is an arrogance that says, “I don’t care how God created me, if I don’t like I will change it! Who’s going to stop me?” and there is a blatant disrespect and disregard of God’s Word and Percepts. Unbelievers and some believers are thumbing their nose at the Lord while expecting a miracle. The views and opinions of the world have changed. The political climate of the country no longer reflects the upward view that the Lord has directed. The world has spoken and has decided that, “In God We Trust” is for losers and they can and will do whatever they want, while believers silently watch. Many believers are complicit in the new way of the world. Watching from the sidelines praying, “Lord, please don’t put me in.”
For centuries, 2 Chronicles 7:14 has been quoted and many have never really paid attention to the meaning of the verse. Complicit believers pleading for forgiveness despite the world’s rebellion because mercy and forgiveness belong to God (Daniel 9:9). Where is the call to action? It is there in 2 Chronicles 7:14. So, what happened? Has God’s people, who are called by His name failed to humble themselves, failed to pray, failed to seek God’s face, and failed to turn from their wicked ways? Emphatically, yes!!! More than ever, it seems that believers are turning away from God. For this reason, I must ask, can God’s people be trusted? Some days I don’t even trust myself. I realize that prayer without ceasing means having to pray in the moment so that I can resist the devil; that humbling myself means coming to You broken and asking for forgiveness of sin; that seeking Your face means truly taking the time to know You, love You, and follow You; and that turning from my wicked ways means literally changing behavior. So I ask you, can God’s people be trusted to do what is necessary for the land to be restored without yielding to the Holy Spirit? No, Church family. We must yield!
Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive us for losing hope at times and for not trusting You. Forgive us for worrying about what other believers aren’t doing and still not standing up for You and Your precepts. Forgive us for being cynical, laxed in our prayer life, afraid to stand and sometimes even growing weary of continuing to do right. Without repentance (humbling ourselves), prayer, true desperation for You, and actively living godly the world will not be healed and we will see more droughts, more disasters, more famine, and more pestilence. Lord, thank You for our relationship where You speak directly to us and remind us that we are to endure to the end. I realize that the godlier we live the more the world will hate us (Matthew 10 and John 15). Thank You so much for Your Word, Lord! I ask You, Lord, to help Your people, that You have called, that You have set apart to stand, endure, and to live godly despite what we see around us. Lord, please protect us in these dangerous times, give us the strength to stand, take away all fear when the world, our friends, and family turn against us. Protect us Lord as we pray for restoration of the land and as we set out to speak the truth to a world that hates the truth and seemingly hates You. Thank You, for Your protection and Your provision during these times. Thank You, Lord, for Your Son, Jesus Christ who died and rose so we might live. In the matchless name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
By Sis. Pat Towns
Archive
2024
January
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3 Comments
Amen! An encouraging and convicting devotional!!!
Glory and Praise the Lord for a powerful word of challenge!!!
AmenðŸ™Amen! Very strong devotional when God rebukes you, it is for your own good!!