2 Chronicles 7:13,14
“If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, and if 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, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
This is describing the relationship between God and His people. If one sins and doesn’t repent, He dries up one’s life. I Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Spirit.” That’s what sin does. Ignoring His voice does the same thing. It’s not a good quenching. It’s like extinguishing a flame.
What also happens is we lose God’s peace. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.” When we sin or ignore God, we aren’t allowing His peace to rule in our hearts. We feel guilt or conflict. It’s miserable.
When David sinned with Bathsheba and was confronted by Nathan, the prophet, he penned Psalm 51:10-12, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” That’s what it feels like when we sin. We feel dirty, our spirit doesn’t feel right, we don’t feel God’s presence and we don’t feel His joy.
The description in today’s verse is what happens to one’s life. There is no rain. The locust devours the lush green of one’s life. While it doesn’t feel like it, this is His mercy. He is getting our attention. We are drifting away from Him and His will for us. We are acting like the prodigal son. So, things dry up. It is for the purpose of us pausing and returning.
The next part of the verse speaks of returning to God. We are humbling ourselves, praying and seeking His face. We are turning from our wicked ways. This was difficult to do initially and in the early years of my faith. This was because I didn’t know Him well. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” I didn’t know that He was a rewarder of those that seek Him. As a youth the faith I was raised in didn’t teach much of that. It was more about sacrifice and what I could do for Him. It felt unsatiable. I didn’t know He wanted to give to me.
Here are a few more verses about what God wants to do for us. Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is comfortable (easy), and My burden is light.” These verses have resonated with me much for the past few years. It is quite unbelievable. I had no idea that He wanted to do that for us. My background spoke to more about sacrifice. Yet, here He wants to help us. He wants to bless us.
We are His sons and daughters. He wants to bless us. Tad Lincoln was Abraham’s son. He would ride ponies in the white house, bust into important meeting and run up to his father and jump in his lap. He loved his son and his son knew it. He wasn’t skittish or unsure that his father would scold him. A believer who knows his heavenly Father is getting closer to this.
Lord, thank You for this wonderful relationship. You love us more than we will ever know. Help us to walk in that. Forgive us our sins. Thank You that You forgive and heal us.