2Chronicles7: 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.
REPENTANCE(A)
In the pursuit of national healing, repentance is crucial if not the first step. More often than not, there is a connection between national crisis and the wickedness of the people. There are myriads of scriptural examples to prove this point. The children of Israel suffered cruelty whenever they backslide and forsake God. In bible days, whenever a nation's abominable act border around bloodshed, injustice and corruption, they suffer the consequences of their sin, 2Kings17:18-20. Amos warned Israel, "Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth" (Amos 9:8). Our country is where it is today because of the wickedness of her citizens and leaders. It is not outsiders that are looting our treasury neither are they steering the wheel of leadership in our nation. I won't be wrong to say that whatever is happening today is the harvest of evil seeds sown individually and collectively.
We must not blame God for our national calamities. This is simply because sin opens the door for the enemy to inflict pain. The bible says: "He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him."(Eccl10:8). We all know that the serpent is symbolic of the devil. He is the serpent biting our nation politically, economically, health sector, education sector and all important aspects that make up our nation. Any nation where human life is not valued and where the blood of innocent flows like a river, peace will elude that nation if the righteous do not rise up to remedy the situation. This is because blood speaks and when it speaks, it is always demanding for vengeance. Gen4:10(CEV), "Then the LORD said: Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed onto the ground. Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you." If you think that old testament example doesn't suffice, check this: "They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"(Rev6:10 NIV).
Praise God! We can remedy the situation because there's a higher blood available to us. "You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel." (Heb12:24). However, we all must take on the posture of penitence for our dear nation before the blood of Christ can cleanse our sins. In our prayers, we must ask God to forgive the sins of our leaders, men in uniform and individual sins that has culminated into a national malady. "Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,"(Joel1:14). This is the time to cry in repentance before the Lord so that healing can come to our nation.
Father, we ask that you forgive our sins as a nation. We turn away from our evil ways henceforth so that our land can be healed in Jesus name.