“Please heal our land, Lord”

There is a great deal that we could point at as Christians to highlight God’s rightful anger towards this world.  Corruption in our government; injustices in our legal system; the blaspheme of our God and Saviour’s name; the disregard for God’s Word; no regard for the sanctity of life – abortion, euthanasia; no fault divorce; same-sex unions are portrayed as perfectly normal behaviour; immorality blatantly displayed on our television screens; internet pornography; substance abuse; paedophilia, other vulnerable people abused; racism; and so much more. 

But let us not just look at the world.  We can focus on our own nation, and our own state and even in our own communities.  We have private flagpoles close to day-care centres, where once the Australian flag proudly flew, now replaced by a double ‘rainbow’ flag by the new owners.  I wonder what parents say to their children when they ask what that flag stands for as they come out of day-care.   Our world, our nation and our communities are in trouble.

It reminded me of the verses in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14; “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague (or a pandemic) 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” (emphasis added). 

These verses were written to God’s Old Testament covenant people, or if you prefer, people that made up the Old Testament church.  Instead of God’s people being a light reflecting their great and loving God to the Gentiles, they were behaving in a manner which caused God’s anger to grow, resulting in punishment through drought and pestilence for their continued disobedience and disregard for God and his good law. 

I sometimes naively think that the current Covid-19 pandemic which in so many ways has paralysed the whole world, both economically as well as causing the numerous deaths of many, particularly the elderly, would be the instrument that would turn people back to the One and Only true God.  I naively think the leaders of the nations would call on their constituents to turn back to God in true repentance and plead for mercy.  

Now, perhaps some leaders are doing that privately, but as yet, I haven’t heard that happening in the public arena.  Then again, perhaps I am expecting too much.  The ‘world’ in general is behaving in a way that indicates that they do not know about the One and Only true God.  Since that is true, we have work to do as Christians.  

Let this work begin with repentance for our failure to be a light of hope in this world.  And then let us respectfully and winsomely take up our responsibility to tell the ‘world’ about the One and Only true God and His wonderful love to us in Christ.   Let us call on people, in light of that great love and sacrifice to repent and bow the knee.  Let us call on people everywhere to join us in prayer, pleading that our loving God would be merciful and heal our land.  

Don’t give up hope, for it has happened before. Remember Jonah? When the ‘Gentiles’ (Ninevites) heard the word of the Lord, they repented in sackcloth and ashes and the Lord had compassion and did not bring upon the destruction he had threatened.  JZ