Know The Difference
I’ve seen so many social media posts about 2 Chronicles 7:13-14. It says, “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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
DON’T YOU SEE!!! EVERYONE ELSE NEEDS TO STOP BEING SO WICKED!!! YOU NEED TO TURN SO I CAN GET BACK TO IGNORING THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE!!! YOU NEED JESUS SO I CAN PRETEND THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!! CLEARLY, THE BIBLE IS CLEAR…
Wildfires in Australia...
Locusts in Africa...
Covid-19 around the world...
Please stop! Seriously, this verse has nothing to do with today. How can I be certain?
These types of things happen ALL. THE. TIME. For the first time in history, and because of social media, we have instant, constant, and global news. Do some research - wildfires happen all the time (it’s also one of the ways nature purifies itself). Locusts have devoured parts of Africa before (2004, 1989, etc). Pandemics have often swept through the known world (polio, Spanish & swine flu, ebola, etc).
Most importantly, this verse does not apply to us today. It was said to a different group of people in a completely different covenant. This statement was given under the old covenant. A covenant that was performance based - hence the whole if you do this…then God will do that. It was a conditional covenant. Today, we do not have a conditional covenant with God thanks to Jesus. God is not waiting on us to follow certain guidelines or do certain things before he hears us, forgives us, or heals us. We don’t live in an “if/then” covenant. Because of what Jesus did, we are already, permanently, and forever heard, forgiven, and healed.
God did not send this virus. If He did, He must really hate old people and those with respiratory issues. Let me put it this way, if Jesus came to heal and rebuke disease and storms that God the Father sends, then they’re a house that’s divided. And we know that Jesus and the Father are one. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things God works together for good. But notice how it doesn’t say that all things are good. It’s important to understand the difference.
I’m not saying don’t pray. You should definitely pray! But not for God to move… you should ask God how He is already moving and how you can get involved.