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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land . (II Chronicles 7:14) I know I’ve written about this verse before. I don’t remember whether it was for Independence Day, but if there was ever a day on which this verse should be considered, Independence Day is such a day. First, let’s deal with the obvious. This was written to and for the Jews. There are some who would say that no one else has a right to claim the verse, but God doesn’t stop being God, which means that He’s not likely to treat non-Jews the opposite of the Jews if the non-Jews do as the verse describes. But, it also doesn’t mean that the promise will be kept in the same way, even if those ...
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10) The condition of receiving God’s revelation and of holding God’s truth is one of the heart, not one of the head…God is not grasped by thought, but by feeling. (Bounds, E.M., A Treasury of Prayer: The Best of E.M. Bounds , p. 48) I’m reading the Bounds book quoted above, and the first chapter seems to be all about feelings. Others I’ve talked to don’t see that, but particularly when I got to the quote above, I did. It brought the verses from Jeremiah to mind as well as “The Lord’s Prayer.” When p...