If 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." 2 Chronicles 7:14

I have been thinking about this verse a lot today. It is resonating with me more in the last little while than it has before. Our country is very much at a crossroads. Many of us have grown used to living in a country that allows us to live pretty much as we want, but that is very much in danger as things are rapidly changing. People that have never been politically active are standing up to demand their freedom, pushed to the edge and feeling the need and urgency to do something. What is it that we have allowed to bring us to this point?

I was reminded today by a radio commentator that I greatly respect that we have allowed the government to be overrun by corruption. And before you read partisanship into that statement, it is rampant on BOTH sides of the aisle. Morals are thrown out, money and power is the ultimate goal. The government is crumbling from within and taking the country in its wake.

If any change is going to happen at all, corruption has to be rooted out. The idea that was floated by the radio host is to try and find 56 men that will stand up and help "re-found" the United States. That is same number of men that signed the Declaration of Independence. Surely, out of 535 reps and all the other people in D.C., 56 people are willing to put their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor" up for the world to see. They have to come forward.

Here is what is so beautiful. If these people are willing to forsake(confess) the things that they have done that are wrong, willing to root out the massive corruption in the government, then there can be hope. We CANNOT forget grace and redemption. There can be a second chance, but the past must be renounced and adherence to the virtues that founded America must be embraced. There is no other way to do this.

So that brings me back to the verse. God called His people to "humble themselves." Our leaders need to be reminded of what they should be doing. God called us to pray and seek His face. We need to seek His leadership for our country. We are also called to "turn from our wicked ways." Until corruption is eliminated from the personal and public lives of our leaders, we have no hope. But, when it is, through God's mercy, we can have direction and a hope for this nation.