2 Chronicles 7:14 “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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Around 1980, Rock Church in Virginia Beach started quite a movement centered on this verse. It strikes me that if such a movement was appropriate back then, how much more appropriate is would be today! But then, there is a great deal of irony built into the whole passage, because if Israel, and for that matter, Solomon personally, had taken to heart what the Lord spoke to him so clearly, great disaster and heartache would have been avoided. Solomon himself had to have been the one to record this, either writing it personally or dictating it to a scribe, yet he wandered from the Lord in his later years, with terrible consequences for the whole nation. That said, this verse is still true. There is an interesting difference between the usual English translation of the first part of the verse and how the Japanese renders it. The Japanese says, “My people who call upon my name.” In the traditional English translation it might seem that this promise is limited to Israelites, but God claims as His own all who seek Him, who call upon Him as the Creator He is. In any case, it is clear that we are to humble ourselves. External circumstances can humble us, but that is different from recognizing our position before God and acknowledging it by our words and actions. The term was often applied to fasting, which is certainly out of fashion these days, at least for religious purposes. Religious fasting denies our flesh in a recog­nition that God is supreme and a right relationship with Him is far more important than anything physical. We don’t like to deny our flesh anything! When Solomon, with all his intellectual gifting, could fall so badly, it should be obvious that we need to acknowledge our low position and act accordingly. This is a passage of great grace and mercy, but we must not take such grace and mercy for granted. There are countless problems in society today, but we need to start with ourselves, recognizing how we have contributed to the mess and repenting indeed.

Writing this, I realize that it has been years since I have fasted for the sake of prayer and drawing closer to God. I just spent three days as the speaker for a conference on the Holy Spirit, and I ate, even overate, at every meal. If I am to grow as God intends, so as to be more useful to Him, then I need to consider such things and order my priorities accordingly. I have little idea how many years I have left, but I want to spend them doing what my Lord desires of me, so that His name may be acknowledged as holy and His kingdom come as His will is done, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me act on it, and not just give it intellectual assent. May I keep growing as You intend for as long as You keep me here, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!