II CHRONICLES

We had a wonderful day at Church yesterday and I so enjoyed being with God's people.  I am praying that God will continue to do a mighty work in reaching many people for Christ.  Mercy drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.  I am reading in II Chronicles and here are a few thoughts for today: 1) THE GLORY IN THE HOUSE- When the temple was completed, God moved in!  In II Chronicles 5:14, it says:  "So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud:  for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God."  How wonderful it would be to have that outward manifestation of the presence of God on a Sunday morning at Church.  Well, we don't have that, but we do have the promise of His presence each time we meet.  God's glory is in the Church house whenever God's people meet together to worship Him.  Let us worship our Savior with the awareness that His glory is in the house! 2) HEAR FROM HEAVEN- In II Chronicles chapter 6, we see that seven different times, Solomon gives a scenario of the people falling away from God into sin, and then repenting of that sin and calling upon God for help as they pray towards the place of the temple; then He says to God:  "Then hear thou from heaven.."  He begs God to hear from Heaven and to forgive the sins of the people.  In chapter 7, we see that one time, God says He will hear from Heaven.  In verse 14:  "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."   So, Solomon begs God to hear at the times God's people fall away and then turn to God for forgiveness and blessing; then, we see that God says in 7:12, "I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice."  So that in verse 14, God gives a promise to hear when God's people meet the requirements.  Oh how we need to remember and practice those requirements! 3) THE RESPONSE OF HUMILITY- God responds to humility!  That is a fact of Scripture.  Here is another fact... we don't like to humble ourselves.  When is the last time you fell on your face before God?  We don't do that often, so we don't see God often moved in response to our prayers.  Humility moves the heart of God.  In II Chronicles 12, we have Rehoboam who forsakes the law of the LORD, and so God brings judgment in the form of Shishak, king of Egypt.  The prophet of the LORD says in verse 5, "Thus said the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak."  But in verse six, we see that the king humbled himself and said:  "The LORD is righteous."  And here is God's response to the wicked kings humility:  vs. 7- "And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak."  God responded to a wicked king's humility.  Why don't we learn to walk humbly before God?  Let us make up our mind to do so. Well, that is all I have for today.  The time has come and gone.  May God's manifold blessings be upon you this day.  Dr. Mike Mutchler, pastor & friend.