July 10 Time for Reconciliation

Father, You allowed the people of Judah and Israel to be taken captive, out of and away from the land You promised them:  a land flowing with milk and honey.

This land, chosen from all the earth, would have been their resting place where they could live in peace and worship You as they had promised to do.  They would live out the covenant You had made with them and enjoy Your blessings all the days of their lives.

This land would produce crops enough to support the people.  It would yield grass enough to support all the livestock so they would be healthy enough to reproduce with abundant milk to nurse the young.  The flowering plants would provide ample pollen so the bees could make lots of honey.  Thus: a land flowing with milk and honey!

But the people were unfaithful to You. 

They did not do what they had promised to do, and worshipped idols like the pagan cultures around them.  They gave offerings of all kinds to stone and wood figures.  And even sacrificed their precious, living children as burnt offerings.

Yet even in Your judgment of their unfaithfulness and idolatry, there was a limit.  For You had promised that “if Your people, who were called by Your name, would humble themselves, and seek Your face, and turn from their wicked ways, that You would forgive their sin and heal their land.”  And at the end of their set time, they did indeed seek You.   And You brought them back.

O Father, thank You for this picture of reconciliation.  It mirrors what You offer me.  There are consequences when I sin.  But You have promised that when I humble myself and turn from my sin, and seek Your forgiveness, that You will forgive my sin.

Lord, there are so many ways I fall short of Your standard.  I miss the mark.  There are things I do that I shouldn’t, and things I should do that I don’t.  I have spoken wrong words, done wrong things, thought wrong thoughts, and had wrong attitudes.

Lord, as You bring these to my mind, I agree with You that they are sin.  I confess my sin and do not try and justify or legitimize it.  I turn from it and ask for Your forgiveness.

Thank You that You forgive.  Thank You that Your blood pays the price my sin deserves.  And that You purify me from my unrighteousness.   Thank You that You are a God of second chances…and third…and fourth…  And that You have the power to free me from my sin.

Father, our culture is sin sick too.  Open our eyes to the unfaithfulness and sin in our lives.  When we call to You, and humble ourselves and turn away from that sin, You are able and have promised to heal our land.

We need You Father, heal us, and heal our land!  Amen

 1 Chronicles 9:1; 2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 John 1:9

• daily Bible prayer