As We Wait
Heart-to-Heart
If My People who are called by My Name …
Someone sent a text to all their friends requesting that we pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 twice a day … at 7:14 AM and 7:14 PM. Apparently, all over America [maybe all over the world?] Christians were going to be praying this verse together at these times. My first thought was “Cool, I enjoy being a part of a righteous-team!”
Wanting to be sure it was underlined in my Bible, I opened my 1984 NIV to check it out and found … verse 14 begins in the middle of a sentence. REALLY? “So what’s surrounding this partial verse?” I wondered. Here it is …
The LORD Appears to Solomon
2 Chronicles 7:11-16
When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, the LORD appeared to him at night and said:
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land, or send a plague among My People, 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. Now My Eyes will be open and My Ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that My Name may be there forever. My Eyes and My Heart will always be there.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 has been quoted as far back as I can remember in my Christian life, but I’ve not understood the extent of it until putting it in context. Yes, 7:14 was underlined … alone. [It’s sort of like Jeremiah 29:11. That is a verse surrounded by profound truth before and after as well. I’m thankful God has given us this “gift-of-time” to explore beyond the clichés of Truth we’ve become so accustomed to].
As I studied 2 Chronicles 7:11-16, it occurred to me that in Solomon’s day the ‘temple’ was a structure made with hands. But after Jesus’ resurrection … those who believed became ‘His Temple’ … created by the Holy Spirit. We are His Dwelling Place. The Holy Spirit is the One who prompts, convicts, and teaches us how to “seek His Face,” and how to “turn from our wicked ways.” He gives us the assurance that God hears from heaven, forgives our sin, and will heal our land. He gives us the assurance that God’s Eyes are open and His Ears attentive to the prayers we pray. And to top it off, He confirms that we have been chosen and consecrated … as His Temple … for the promise of His Name, His Eyes, and His Heart to abide with us forever! Because we are the “if My People” people!
Excuse me … I need to worship Him … now …