If My People

Last night I woke up around 4:30. I spent some time in prayer before curling up, ready to fall back asleep. But God had other plans. He kept bringing II Chronicles 7:14 to my mind. “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.” I spent some time in bed considering this verse.

IF is conditional. If one thing happens, then the other will also happen. The opposite is implied: if one thing doesn’t happen, then neither does the other.

MY PEOPLE since God is speaking in the passage, these would be God’s people, or believers.

WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME Today, I would say CHRISTians are called by His name.

WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES ANDPRAY “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray….”I had already prayed, so I wondered what God had in mind in the wee hours of the morning. What else? In my mind, God had some questions for me:

WHAT ABOUT POLITICS? Politics?

HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT ANSWER, POLITICALLY? Oh. Well, I guess that’s not too humble.

ARE YOU ALL KNOWING, ALL WISE? Uh, no. You are. Forgive me for thinking I am God-like.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF A POLITICIAN AS FOOLISH? (insert any number of derogatory names here.) WHO MADE YOU THEIR JUDGE? That’s pretty prideful of me. Forgive me, Father.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR A PARTICULAR POLITICIAN OR PARTY AS FOOLISH? (insert derogatory name of choice.) WHEN YOU DO THIS, YOU ARE JUDGING THEM. THAT’S MY JOB. Guilty. Father, forgive me.

I am truly sorry, and I’ll work on my attitude. Can I go back to sleep now? I yawned and curled on my side, ready for some sleep.

NOT YET. WE AREN’T FINISHED. What else?

OTHERS, WHO DISAGREE WITH YOU POLITICALLY, ARE BEHAVING JUST AS BADLY AS YOU. Uh, okay…. I waited and thought a while. Yes, I see. They are just like me. Father, forgive them. I forgive them too.

THAT’S BETTER. I FORGIVE YOU, DAUGHTER. NOW WILL YOU TRUST ME TO DO MY WORK? REMEMBER, I AM IN CONTROL.  Yes, Father, with your guidance I will stay humble and pray.

THEN I WILL HEAR YOUR PRAYER AND HEAL YOUR LAND. CONTINUE TRUSTING ME AND SLEEP WELL, MY BELOVED.