Calls For Repentance

Turn From Your Wicked Ways Written By: Kim Whipkey

“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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.”                                    

2 Chronicles 7: 14

As a student, the two words that most filled me with dread were “group project.” It’s not that I had a problem with being a team player, having been named the fill-in-the-blank player by my high school softball coach, or found it difficult to collaborate as a member of a group – I always enjoyed sharing ideas and brainstorming with others. It was more a matter of my grade being determined by things that were outside of my control. If it were up to me, I would be confident that with hard work and determination, I could complete a project successfully. With a group project, however, I couldn’t guarantee that the other people would pull their weight. For some reason, in the past this verse always reminded me of the dreaded group project. It worried me that my outcome could be determined by the actions of other people, and their outcome could be determined by my actions. It seemed like an awful lot of responsibility.

When I read these words now in the context of the entire chapter, I realize that these instructions from God were not intended to make us responsible for each other’s choices, but responsible to one another. When you read the verses surrounding this one, you see that, at this moment, Solomon was dedicating the newly built temple to God, and God was giving instructions on corporate worship. God had chosen to dwell in this temple with His people, and He wanted the temple to be a “house of sacrifice.” I believe He was letting the people know his expectations of them, as well as outlining what the people could expect from God. When they came together as a group in prayer and worship, humbly turning away from sin and seeking God’s face, He would hear their prayers, forgive them, and restore them. God says, “Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.”

As a congregation of people, whether in a church or other group, we are not responsible for the actions of other people. We are responsible to do our part, to come together as a group to worship, to do what is right in the house in which God has agreed to dwell. It is an awful lot of responsibility, but the outcome is that God will see and hear our prayers, and will dwell with us forever. What a blessing to seek His face and have Him see, hear, and love us perpetually.

Father, we thank you for this opportunity to worship you. You have called us Your children and so we humbly pray and seek Your face. Help us to turn from our wickedness and do our part to come together in corporate worship, responsible to You and to Your children. We thank you that you hear us, are attentive to our needs, and share Your heart with us. Forgive us, Lord, and heal our land so that all may come to know and love You.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.