Repentance - our promise to God, restoration - God's promise to us
S - 2 Chron 6
24 “If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.
36 “When they sin against You ( for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near, 37 if they take thought in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have committed iniquity and have acted wickedly’; 38 if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name, 39 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.
2 Chron 7 (the Lord's reply)
13 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, 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.
O - Solomon's prayer and God's response to him after completing the temple is a great conversation to reflect upon. We see Solomon who was given such wisdom, say he understands the people will sin and stray from God, both individually and collectively as a chosen people, so his prayer is that God would respond favorably if in their sin, they turn, repent that God would hear their prayer, forgive their sin, and heal the results of their transgression. God responds favorably to Solomon by acknowledging that he will keep his ear open for the prayers of those that are seeking him, and his ways and will respond as Solomon described. Though this describes an old testament concept (priests conducting sacrifices and approaching the lord in the Temple where he dwells in the Holy of Holies, it applies today for us, where Jesus now dwells in us, and acts on our behalf to intercede when we sin, and subsequently repent.
A - The application for me is to live in the truth that I am a sinner, in need of a savior. That I worship and forgiving and righteous God. The fact that I have committed my life to following Jesus makes me no less likely to fall short of his righteousness, it just means He will always be there for me if I turn to Him. In this season I am now, I know I must search my own soul and make sure I have no disobedience in me and that I have not in anyway turned away from Him, or allowed sin to cause me to stray.
P - Dear heavenly Father, I pray that you would search my soul and reveal in me any unrighteousness or sin. I repent now for what I don't know, but will soon be revealed. I pray for strength to walk in your ways and be restored to your glory and righteousness in your plans for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment