The ReturnSample

Reformation

It’s the middle of the night and the sound of your phone startles you awake. Good news doesn’t usually ring at this hour. What’s going on?

2 Chronicles 7:12 records one of those middle-of-the-night phone calls to King Solomon. On the other end is Almighty God, and He has bad news that leads to a good promise—the kind of promise that God alone can make. “When I shut up the heavens so there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land, or send a plague among my people….” That’s the bad news part. It’s God telling the truth about humanity: We have disobeyed personally, corporately, and nationally, and He is sending consequences. True to His redemptive nature, God continues the middle-of-the-night thought with the following promise: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Two thousand years ago, on Pentecost, God poured out the Holy Spirit. By the power of the Spirit, Jesus’ followers began to spread the good news, and churches sprang up. As these churches matured, they joined together into an organizational support structure that kept them on the right track in their teaching. For a thousand years, churches were more or less organized under one overarching structure. But then corruption, idolatry, and immorality began to arise in the church—and it continues today.

As we humble ourselves, pray, and repent of our personal, national, and corporate sins, we will experience revival, which will then usher in the favor of God to cleanse His church, the bride of Christ, as we invite Him to return to us as we return to Him.

Talk It Over:

Grab a pen and paper and write three prayers to the Lord:

1. Lord, you have invited me to humble myself before you in prayer. In humility, I confess the following personal sins, corporate sins, and national sins. I cry out for your forgiveness.

2. Lord, you invite me to seek your face. When I look into your eyes through Scripture, show me what your eyes reveal about what is important to your heart.

3. Lord, give me courage and knowledge to turn from my wicked ways. Teach me to value your forgiveness. Strengthen my spirit to renounce sin and walk in obedience.