2 Chronicles 7:10-14 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the LORD had done for David, and to Solomon, and for His people Israel. And Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the King’s palace, and Solomon successfully completed all that came into his heart to make in the house of the LORD and in his own palace, he has caused to prosper. And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, if My people, which 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 will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Roughly 3000 years ago during this month, King Solomon dedicated the Temple he had built for the Lord. So it was in the Hebrew month of Tishrei, the month of the fall feasts of Israel, that the presence of the Lord fell and the glory of God was displayed in the Temple.
A few nights from now will mark the closing of this final feast, but its occurrence 3000 years ago is also significantly highlighted — by a visitation from God — to King Solomon.
You see, it was on this night, after the feast of Sukkot was over, that God appeared to Solomon by night, and said, “If my people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Yes, God gave us here an eternal promise with a set of conditions; one which is quoted by everyone who seeks revival for his nation.
Let’s take God at His Word and turn this “IF” into an “I WILL”…humble myself, and pray, and seek Your face, and repent of my wicked ways…and thank you for answering from heaven, and forgiving my sin, and Praise You for healing our land!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]This verse in Nehemiah connects the observance of a Holy day with the joy of the Lord. Our identity as “saints” (literally, “holy ones”), called to be holy, means we are and ought to be set apart from the world. But does that mean a solemn and joyless life of boredom as some have been led to believe? I have heard statements like, “I’m miserable, but at least I’m holy!” No, to be simultaneously holy and miserable is “oxymoronic” (if I may coin an adjective). It contradicts the very Spirit of God!
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Genesis 24 recounts the marriage of Issac and Rebekah. As the offering of Isaac by his father Abraham was a clear picture or type of our Heavenly Father’s offering of His Son Yeshua, we may also view this marriage as a picture or type of Yeshua’s marriage to his Bride.
One of my heroes of the faith, Watchman Nee, once said something profound about entering the rest of God. He said, “Carnal Christians crave works; yet amid many labors, they are unable to maintain calm in their spirit. They cannot fulfill God’s orders quietly as can the spiritual believers… their hearts are governed by outward matters. Being “distracted with much serving” (Luke 10:40) is the characteristic of the work of any soulish believer. They have not yet entered the rest of God.”
I just read an interesting article discussing how the current crisis is spawning worry and anxiety syndrome amongst many people. An emotional environment is sweeping the land. The effects may be subtle, but they’re serious. Do we want to contribute to this?
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Set my mind on things above where my life is hidden with Christ…
…every problem, every issue, every fear, every practical matter concerning nature and flesh, to be reckoned in the light of a spiritual identity, a reality which I cannot see, a Heaven which is somewhere outside my universe. And Paul says, “Seek that!” How do I do that? How do I stretch my attention into the Heavenly realm…set my mind on things above?