When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:13-14 NIV
This passage looks ahead to a time when the people of Israel would turn away from following God, turning to the worship of other gods, and failing to live up to the terms of their covenant with God. And when that happened, they could expect God to chasten them for their disobedience. That chastisement could take the form of drought, plague, or even oppression from other nations.
But God also promised that if they would humble themselves, pray, seek his face, and turn from their wicked ways, he would forgive them and heal their land. God’s chastisement of Israel might have seemed punitive, but its intent was to provoke repentance and a renewed commitment.
What God had to say about ancient Israel applies to all who are God’s people. And that includes the church of today and individual believers. We can be just as guilty of being enticed by the world around us as Israel was. We may not be guilty of overt sin and may outwardly appear OK, but we can be guilty of leaving our first love like the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:1-6. To be just going through the motions.
And the solution is the same for us as it was for Israel. To recognize our condition, to repent, pray for forgiveness, and renew our commitment. And, if we do, we can expect that God will hear us, forgive our sins, and heal our hearts and minds.
“If my people will humble themselves and pray, I will hear them, forgive them, and heal them.“
