Today's Reading - 2 Chronicles 7 & Psalm 136

Prescription for National Restoration

Psalm 136 is all about giving thanks to the God of Heaven for His steadfast love which endures forever. We don’t know for sure who wrote Psalm 136, but we do know that it was sung at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. (See 2 Chr 7:3,6). As the people gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Temple, the one thing that was on their mind was thankfulness – and rightly so. God had so blessed the people of Israel with His providence, provision, and protection for many centuries that it was time to give Him praise and thanksgiving for His enduring love.

After the festivities of the day, as Solomon lay on his bed, the Lord spoke to him about the days ahead when the people’s hearts would turn away from God. As complacency and apathy set in, the people would turn to selfish and wicked pursuits. God knew they would one day drift away from His commandments and statutes and decay into a nation that was no longer thankful and no longer carried God at the center of their national life. When this happens, God told Solomon that His blessing would give way to His judgment.

Instead of plentiful rain to water their crops, God would “shut up” the heavens so there is no rain. He would send locusts into their gardens and farms. He would send diseases and pandemics upon the people. It would not be a pretty sight. This may seem like such a “downer” on a day that was full of celebration and joy and thankfulness. But the reason God spoke to Solomon about this was because He wanted to give him the “prescription” to remedy their condition. Because His steadfast love endures forever, He made sure they knew exactly how to end their coming days of trouble.

There are four simple (but not easy) steps they must follow when they are ready for God’s forgiveness and healing of their land. First, they must HUMBLE THEMSELVES. This means they must acknowledge that they have been wrong in their disregard for God and turn away from their pride and self-sufficiency. Second, they must PRAY. Lack of prayer is one of the sure signs that a person or a nation has turned away from God. To remedy this, they must turn back to a life of prayer. Third, they must SEEK GOD’S FACE. When we seek the face of God, we are seeking His presence – seeking His involvement in our lives – seeking to end our estrangement from Him. Finally, they must TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS. This means they must repent – intentionally turn their back on the direction they are going and turn back to God’s ways and rule over their nation.

God then promised Solomon that when His people followed this “prescription,” that He would forgive their sins and heal their land. What an amazing promise from the God of Heaven whose steadfast love endures forever! This promise applies to any nation who, at one time, sought God and followed His truth but has drifted away from Him into complacency, apathy, selfishness, pride, and sin. Our loving God will do the same for that nation.