God's Promise to His People

2 Chronicles 7: 11 – 14 (NIV): When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, the Lord appeared to him at night and said: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Solomon had just completed the Temple. It was the first permanent structure the Israelites built as a place of sacrifice and worship. And, of course, it was a magnificent building, worthy to be the place to worship the true God. Solomon had dedicated the temple and the glory of the Lord was so powerful that the people could not even enter the building. When you dedicate something, you are setting it aside for an exclusive purpose. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:16 that our bodies are temples today, set aside for God's exclusive purposes.

Now we come to one of the most well-known passages of scripture, 2 Chronicles 7:14. God is telling Solomon how to receive relief from the trials he and his people would face. The drought would come. The plague of locusts; the plague of sickness. Drought and locusts directly affected the people's income. The plague made them sick and took their lives.

Notice that God said he would shut up the heavens so it would not rain; God would command the locusts to devour the crops, and God himself would send the plague. We must never forget that God is in control of all things. But he told us what to do when these things happen: to humble ourselves, pray, seek his face, and turn from our wicked ways.

It's important to note that this passage is referring to a nation of people. We can see through history how true these words are. The people would begin to forget God and his decrees during times of prosperity and would suffer for it. Does God send plagues and locusts and drought to individuals? What I do know is that he uses all things for our own good, namely to get us to pray to him and to desire to get to know him.

God assured Solomon that he would allow trials and difficulties to come to the nation so they would repent and turn to him. Is America facing financial difficulties today? Is America facing a health crisis today? The answer is for God's people to repent and pray, to turn from our sinful lifestyles, and to seek God's face. Then God will hear from heaven and heal our great land.