“And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.” (Deuteronomy 11:13, 14)
I find it interesting how many people are quoting, once again, the verse about “If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray…I will heal their land.” Many of these people live their lives as though God doesn’t pay any attention the rest of the time. They live by reaction, not by obedience. Sadly, so it is with us all at one point or another.
This prayer, although it is meant to bring healing to the entire nation (of Israel, specifically), is meant to be a very personal issue of responsibility, of confessing personal sins, of turning personally from our wicked ways. We love to pray as a group because we can always pass the blame on to someone else’s behavior. But we, as western-world, cowboy invidividualists has become a group-think, consensus following people. Gone are the days of personal accountability, of owning up to what I have done – either right or wrong. We hide behind the forest of the people that the fruit of our own single tree cannot be singled out.
Don’t get me wrong: I believe in corporate prayer, of calling on the Christians of the entire nation and world to come together in agreement. BUT. Using the example of the blood on the doorposts prior to the visit of the death angel in Egypt, each household was responsible for smearing the blood on their OWN door – not that of their neighbor. The simple fact is, as the person goes, so goes the household. As the household goes, so goes the community. As the community goes, so goes the state. As the state goes, so goes the nation. As the nation goes, so goes its allies. And if the allies pull together in unity, as the allies go, so goes the world. But the first step is the individual. First.
I can’t count on the President of the nation to change things the way I want them to be if I don’t have the courage and the power to stand for it myself. I dare not accuse the pastor of not meeting the needs of my fellow church members when I won’t take the first step to help them myself. I can’t count on the grace and love of Jesus Christ to save me when I won’t even humble myself and come to Him as He has called. I mentioned recently that the love of God is NOT necessarily freely given. It is totally NOT unconditional. There is a price to pay for each of us. Once we have met His conditions, then YES He will open the windows of heaven and give us love beyond anything we have ever known before.
Think back with me for a moment. God did NOT receive Cain’s sacrifice, but He did accept Abel’s. Abel’s sacrifice came with the shedding of blood, whereas Cain’s did not. There had been a pattern established by God Himself in the Garden that blood must be shed for us to have fellowship with Him and receive His merciful salvation. Cain disregarded that example and brought what he wanted and with what he was familiar. Abel brought what God wanted – at the expense of one of his precious animals. God’s acceptance and forgiveness definitely demands something from us – something in line with His commands. We, in essence, offer up ourselves as living sacrifices to God. We die to ourselves, our own desires, our plans, and control over our own lives. This is His command to us.
My challenge to you, my friend, is to meditate on this in the coming days, weeks, and months. We know the Day of the Lord is fast approaching. With that, we also know (from scripture) that we haven’t seen the full extent of man’s sinfulness. But again, it’s not (the other) man who is causing the evil to flourish. It is you and me. Consider what God would have you do to deliver yourself from the influence of Satan, how He would have you deliver your family from the clutches of sin. Only then can the circle widen and the influence of our God on this earth come into fruition. Consider.
Be blessed.
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