The Biggest Little Word

“I

f I had a million dollars…” “If I had more time…’  “If I had a bigger car…”  “If gasoline weren’t so high…” “If I had fewer bills…,” etc.  Does this scenario sound familiar?  Do you find yourself using this little word over and over again on a daily basis?  If we were honest, all of us would admit to overusing the little word, if, especially concerning the areas of our lives where we are the most dissatisfied.  We always want to change our situations.  If only that were possible!!

Please notice each of the foregoing statements creates a condition that has some type of result.  For example, “If I had a million dollars, I would buy a new house.”  The condition is having the million dollars and the result is the purchase of a new home.  But that little word if means I don’t have a million dollars and consequently I can’t buy a new home.  But if the condition were met, the result would follow.

The same holds true in our walk with God.  As we celebrate Independence Day this Saturday in the United States, it would do us well to review a passage of scripture that, although spoken to Israel, has application for us today. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 we read, “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.”

There can be no clearer call to repentance than this!  God extends his hand and sets forth the conditions for a relationship with him.  Notice that he begins with the word if.  As we said before, that word indicates that the condition is not being met.  In other words, God’s people do not humble themselves, they do not seek his face, they do not turn from their wicked ways and as a result God does not hear from heaven, he does not forgive their sin, and their land is not healed.

Now wait just a minute, Blake.  Are you saying God does not forgive sin?   No, I did not say that.  That would be contrary to scripture.  However, unless we call upon God’s name and repent, our sins are not forgiven.  God will not commune with us nor have a relationship with us as long as we remain in our sins.  That is what the Bible teaches.

This is true for nations and for individuals as well.  As long as we refuse to humble ourselves before God, seek his face, and repent from our sins we can never have a deep, abiding, personal relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Nations are made up of individual people and if individuals refuse to meet the requirements of God’s conditions, it is no wonder that nations—ours in particular—are in such deep peril.

The lesson of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is applicable to all of us regardless of nationality.  As God’s people we must humble ourselves and seek him.  We must repent and turn from our wicked ways.  Then, God will hear us, he will walk with us, he will talk with us, and he will heal our land.  If only we will do what he says!!