“God Will Initiate the Change He Desires.”
During this coronavirus situation, a verse we all know has come alive to me in a radically new way. The verse is second Chronicles 7:14:
“And 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, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
This verse is known to most of us, but I wonder why I never looked at verse 13 more carefully until now since it is the start of this call to humble repentance for His healing. 2 Chronicles 7:14:
“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people…”
This shows how God often uses times of crisis to draw His people back to Himself and demonstrate to the world that He has power over all things. Droughts, plagues, and pestilences are often tools that accomplish His will.
There are many accounts in the Bible, showing how God intervenes in humanity to direct us to His will. Two that come to mind are:
Genesis 11:9 “Therefore its name was called Babel because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth, and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
Acts 8:1 “Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
Both of these seemingly devastating situations were greatly used by God to accomplish His purposes in the world. Perhaps God is allowing an opportunity for His church during this time of crisis to show us that we need to humbly repent so we can tell others about Him, and see healing in our land.
You may remember Psalm 51; it wasn’t until David repented that he was able to be fruitful in telling others about God. He had to be restored to the joy of his salvation through godly sorrow; then, God chose to use him powerfully.
Psalm 51:12–13
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.
We are also reminded of the beautiful picture that Isaiah saw of the holiness of God in Isaiah chapter 6. Again, it wasn’t until Isaiah was willing to repent for not only the sins of the people but his own sins that God chose to use him powerfully. In Isaiah chapter 6, we see his sorrow and repentance.
Isaiah 6:5
Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
Healing will come to our land when God’s people humble themselves, seek God, and turn from our wicked ways. We need to remind ourselves of the fantastic news that we bring to this lost and dying world. Let us be reminded, as it says in Romans 10:15, “how beautiful the feet of those who bring good news of good things.”
What a beautiful Gospel it is. Be reminded of it!
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
Colossians 1:19–20
For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Romans 3:23–24
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.
God will initiate the change He desires in all those that He calls to Himself. What a privilege we have to be the voices of repentance and the gospel.