10.22.07
“WHAT?”
II Chronicles 7:13-14
“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.”
Perhaps you have heard the following humorous story:
“A concerned husband went to a doctor to talk about his wife. ‘Doctor, I think my wife is deaf because she never hears me the first time and always asks me to repeat things.’
‘Well,’ the doctor replied, ‘go home and tonight stand about 15 feet from her and say something to her. If she doesn’t reply move about 5 feet closer and say it again. Keep doing this so that we’ll get an idea about the severity of her deafness.’
Sure enough, the husband goes home and does exactly as instructed. He starts off about 15 feet from his wife in the kitchen as she is chopping some vegetables and says, ‘Honey, what’s for dinner?’ He hears no response. He moves about 5 feet closer and asks again. No reply. He moves 5 feet closer. Still no reply. He gets fed up and moves right behind her, about an inch away, and asks again, ‘Honey, what’s for dinner?’
She replies, ‘For the fourth time, vegetable stew!’ “
For those of you who need a little help understanding—the problem was not with her ability to hear—but his.
Why is it that we see things in others that we fail to see in ourselves? It always seems to be others who have the problem. When that happens, we fail to deal with the problem in our own life.
I am struck by the Scripture for today. It becomes apparent from verse 13, that God does indeed allow calamity to fall upon people as a result of their sin. It is not to make them suffer, but to bring them to the place where they will confess their sin and return to Him.
It is impossible for me to know what is happening in your life at this time, but God knows. Since I have no way of knowing what is going on in your life, I can not give you specific spiritual counsel on how to resolve the conflicts you are encountering, but God knows, and according to Philippians 4:19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
I recall hearing a man at our men’s Bible study share very candidly about his frustration and the pent up anger that had been seething inside of him over the past week. He was driving along and switched from one radio station to the next. He happened to tune in to a Christian station and heard this comment from Pastor Chuck Swindoll. “Instead of allowing a situation to produce anger, let it produce character.”
My friend commented that only God could have known that he needed that word at that precise moment. Chuck may have recorded that message weeks, months or years earlier, but as it was aired at just the right time for this message to be delivered to his struggling heart.
I was sharing with my grandson this past week that I have become convinced that character can only be developed in times of trial. During the easy times it is easy for us to float along. But when the storm strikes, we are in a situation of either “sink or swim!” There are always situations in our life that challenge us to do something. The right thing to do in any and every situation, is to place our trust in God, confess our need and do His will.
It is interesting that in today’s Scripture, James gives instructions about the prayer when we need healing. The instruction is given that the sick person is to call for the elders to anoint with oil and pray for the healing, but there is one other element found in James 5:15 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
When you or I approach the Lord about our need, we need to have our sins confessed before Him and the conflicts with others resolved as well. We need to have our spiritual hearing aids turned up so we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit revealing those things that need confessing and cleansing.
I pray that God will be near to you this day as your develop that character which will be a radiant testimony of the power of God to do what we are not able to do.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing.
- - - Pastor Cecil