Creating more of "my people"

A devotional gave me a different perspective on a familiar verse.

The other day I was driving to work in the morning. It was a morning like any other, as most of the time I drive with the local contemporary Christian station on as background music. But during my drive time is a morning devotional, where Denise Harper, the female co-host, ruminates on a particular situation in her life and generally ties it to some passage of Scripture. On this particular morning she talked about 2 Chronicles 7:14, which goes as follows:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

What got me to thinking and writing was the concept of “my people.”

America was founded on the practice of religious liberty, where - despite their differences - people of any Christian faith could find a home. (There were also a sprinkling of other religions around as well.) Our Founding Fathers informed us that we were endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.

But how many of His people are around now, perhaps to pick up the pieces?

On a regular basis, we’re told that fewer and fewer people go to church. Those churches that are remaining are constantly being bombarded with the message that they need to moderate their strident, Bible-believing tone to conform with the world as it is, not as the Lord would have it be.

But on the other hand, I also hear of great revivals where hundreds or even thousands accept Christ as their Savior. In a nation of over 300 million, that’s a drop in the bucket. Prayer is powerful, though, and like Gideon’s army that was whittled down to 300 men in the Book of Judges, those of us who are faithful can still defeat a foe, or in this case change a nation.

It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to make that army a little bigger - in this case, I don’t think the Lord will object to a larger group. At my church, there’s a sign at the front door going out that tells us we are entering the mission field, and that’s the way I try to approach life. Not many people will pause to say grace at a restaurant, but we do. We’re not ashamed to give Him thanks for our blessings in public. (After all, I’m writing this here for everyone to see.) I’m definitely not perfect, but I’m attempting to walk in the right direction.

Each night I pray that America will bless God as much as God has blessed America. We have a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but as the Lord’s Word says we can still have our land healed if we turn this nation around.

Until next time, remember you can Buy Me a Coffee since I have a page there. Or just pray my efforts in creating fertile soil for planting the seeds of salvation indeed bear fruit.