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)
A
third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke, and
sulfur that came out of their mouths. The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails;
for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still
did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop
worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols
that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their
sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:18-21)
I really
hope that through this crisis, many will be drawn to Christ and find salvation
in Him. I would really love for Christians across this nation to humble
themselves and pray, to seek His face and turn from their wicked ways. That would
be a cause for rejoicing, and I hope it’s happening. I’ve heard some rumors
that the virtual church services online have brought in more people to hear God’s
word than usually attend the church in question. That is cause for rejoicing
and I hope it’s not only happening but continues after lockdown has ended.
I’ve read
comments by people who hope that when lockdown ends, we can build a whole new world
– a heaven on earth, a utopia in which what they imagine comes true. Yes, that’s
a reference to the song that is an example of that world. They think it’s
wonderful. I read the words and consider what is necessary to achieve it and I
shudder at the horror.
Crisis can
and does lead to revival. (Yes, Lord! Bring revival!) but it also brings
hardening and death. Our situation isn’t anywhere near as dire as the one
described in Revelation 9. If that disaster were to strike today, within five
months, 2.6 billion people would die. In a family of three, on average, one
would die. Add four grandparents to the nuclear family, and two or three are
buried. A neighborhood of 17 houses would result in at least 11 deaths in the
course of five months. I imagine it along the lines of the Spanish Flu. Heavy
sleepers go to bed with a healthy spouse and wake up with a corpse.
The precedent has been set. Imagine the lockdown for five or six months. People
like to talk about being “woke.” If anything was ever a wake-up call, the phone
is ringing in this passage, and our situation now should make the ringing loud
and clear.
And yet, the passage tells us that those who will remain will not repent, will not change
their ways. They will continue to worship their idols and the so-called heavens
on earth that they promise. It’s not a cheering thought, but we must not fall
into the same trap of magical thinking that they do, building up a false hope
that when the crisis ends, people will have changed and the world will be ready
to be made over in our image. We must not be surprised when people become more
dedicated to their idols and imaginings. That’s not the way people are.
If you’re in
that mental quagmire, get out. God is still in control, not you. Things are
going to get uglier, and uglier still. Humble yourself and let your neighbor
deal with him/herself. Pray for yourself and your loved ones, but also for
those in authority, even if you don’t like him/her. Seek His face, not just His
hand. Turn from your wicked ways – away from anything that separates you from
God, and to God. And He will heal your land. It might be your bedroom, apartment,
120*60 foot lot, neighborhood, city, county, state, or nation. We should hope
for the nation, and be content with the bedroom.
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