So we have been looking at 2 Chronicles 7:14 and seen how as Christians we fall under the categorization of being God’s people and called by His name; then last time we saw how in this promise what we are required to do and how it is actually a progression from humility to repentance. Today we will look at what God promises to do. In the last part of 2 Chronicles 7:14 we see God stating, “then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” There are three things that God promises to do, and again we will see that it is a progression; He will hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.

Hear From Heaven

The first promise God makes is that He will hear from heaven. You see the main thing here is that God is always listening for us to come to Him; but He wants us to truly come to Him. I know I have been using a parent/child relationship a lot here, but think of it like this. You have a child and you hear them calling for you because they want something; you won’t answer them right away, even though you know what they want, you want them to come directly to you and ask. You see God is the same way, he know what we need and hears us but want us to truly come to Him, to seek Him out in order to present Him with our needs. It is then that He will answer us.

Forgive Our Sins

So after God hears us when we are truly seeking after Him and having turned away from our sins, He will then forgive our sins. This is the next step in God’s promise to us, and is a natural step. You see as we humble ourselves we realize our sinfulness and need for repentance. God is listening and will hear us, this includes the eventual ask for forgiveness when we realize our sinful state. It is when we are at this point of brokenness, where we realize our need for God, that He will then faithfully forgive our sins. The thing for us is unlike in the Old Testament where a sacrifice was required whenever one asked for forgiveness, Christ’s work on the cross served as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

Heal Our Land

So after God forgives our sins, the next step is healing and restoration. While in the Old Testament where this was the original audience, healing of the land meant helping with their livelihood, the healing of our land is that of our hearts. With the help of the Holy Spirit, God not only forgives our sins but changes our hearts to where we long for godly things. As I mentioned last time we start to desire the things God desires, we start to want to do His will rather than follow our own selfish ways. The healing of our hearts also means we find a peace and joy that is unable to be explained, even when the trials are tough and everything seems to be against us, God is there holding us up and reassuring us that He is faithful and everything will work out for His glory; and this is what we finding ourselves longing for because as those called by His name, we realize it is not about us but about Him, and seek Him to be glorified above all else.