“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14
I’ve seen a lot of people posting this scripture in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and I 💯 agree that it is apropos and applies to the situation. However, the vibe I get and how I see it used indicates that there may be a misconception or a disconnect regarding the intended audience here. There is a very specific people group that this is addressed to and we need to pay attention to that because it makes all the difference.
2 Chronicles 7:14 doesn’t say “if people will humble themselves and pray and turn”, etc… it says if “MY people will”… God is not talking to the world, He’s talking to His people… the church, to us.
His people are the ones who need to humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways…
(Hold up, we’re the church, how can we be wicked?! What “wicked ways”!?!)
…SO THAT He will hear from heaven, forgive our sins and restore our land.
Steps I believe the church (the people, not the institution) should be taking right now?
Step 1: Humble yourself – you don’t know everything, you are not perfect, you don’t have it all together, your pet sin is no different than anyone else’s… get over yourself, Pharisee!
Step 2: Pray – there’s only 1 being that holds you, the world and the universe in His hand and as crazy as it sounds He desires communication and fellowship with you… Broken old you, at times self centered you, so very far from perfect you.
Step 3: Turn from your wicked ways… in other words, REPENT. Take a look at you now, take off those rose colored glasses, see your sin, acknowledge it, ask His forgiveness and then turn from it and don’t go back to it again.
So… this is a message to me, and to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Do you want God to hear us, forgive us, heal our land, and this world? My dudes, we are the conduit He uses to bless them. Humble yourselves, pray, turn from your sin… cause God can and will do it!