If My People
2 Chronicles 7:12–16
If my people . . . humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I . . . will forgive their sin. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Do you feel the need to confess your sin to God? What then do we need to do? The answer is no mystery. It is clearly stated in this verse. These are the steps to God’s blessing.

1. We must humble ourselves. By nature we are not humble. It is only when we come before God that we are genuinely humbled, for it is then that we see ourselves as the sinful and rebellious creatures we really are.
2. We must pray. We do not naturally pray. Why? Because we believe we are self-sufficient. This is why God often has to bring us very low. It is often only in the depths of life, when everything is crumbling around us, that we are willing to turn from ourselves to God and ask him for the help we need.
3. We must seek God’s face. To seek God’s face means to seek his favor rather than the favor of the world around us and to seek his will rather than our own. To seek God’s face means a radical change in the use of our time, talents, resources, and lifestyle.
4. We must turn from our wicked ways. If we do not think we have wicked ways, we will not turn from them—and we are fooling ourselves. When God brings the reality of our sin home to us, we will find ourselves distressed by sin and unwilling to rest until we confess it to God, find his forgiveness, and turn from everything that is displeasing to him. Everything! Not just the “great” sins. Not just the sins that have obviously gotten us into trouble or that offend others. All sins. God does not ask for 50 percent of what we are or look only for 60 percent righteousness. He wants all of us, and he insists on genuine holiness. We cannot serve God and sin too.

Is it difficult to repent? It certainly is! Nothing is harder or goes more against the grain of our sinful natures, but it is necessary for personal happiness and God’s blessing. The promise is that if we will repent of our sins, then God will hear from heaven (he never turns a deaf ear to the repentant), forgive our sin (how much we need it), and heal our land.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.