“If you overcome your pride and acknowledge your sin, come to Me as your only source of help, seek My Face for Who I am, not for what I can do for you, and change your lifestyle of offending Me—choosing My ways instead of your ways—I will do mighty things in your midst. I will hear your prayers. I will forgive your sin of rebellion. I will even bring those around you to Me, so that they might be saved. That is not a formula. That is a promise.”

2 Chr. 7:14 NIV

“…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.”

This verse has been used as a rallying cry to condemn the actions of those who don’t know Jesus. It has been used as a reason to carry banners, point fingers, and break the law - all for the purposes of being a moral watchdog, proclaiming personal righteousness, and condemning anyone other than us as horrible sinners.

It amazes me that there is not one word in the verse that points at anything other than the sin of those who claim to know the Lord as the reason that a land is out of order, or that God’s hand of help has been hindered. God points to the sin of His people, those who claim to know Him, as the reason that darkness has become prevalent.

God calls for His people to change before He will move in a land. We would rather point at others and their sin to sell a need or rally for a cause. It makes us feel better and overshadows our need to change.  It also closets the character of Jesus that is supposed to be in us, allowing the darkness to increase. Just look around.

Forgive us, Lord,

Jim Corbett