Day 3 - Week 42 - 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."

Returning to our comparison of the parable of the prodigal son that Jesus shared with those listening to His message, I wonder if He had this very verse in mind as He developed His story of forgiveness, for the parable follows the steps of returning to God exactly how this week's verse lays them out.

Our verse describes those being addressed as, "My people, who are called by My name."  In the parable, the son had left his father's home to travel to a distant country, but no matter how far away he traveled or how much distance was created between him and his father, he would have always carried with him his father's name.  In that foreign land, his identity was grounded in his family's name and he never forgot who he truly was, his father's son.

We are in a distant country as well....we are not at home.  Peter describes believers in this way,

Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you. 1 Peter 2:10-11

We are God's people, we are aliens and temporary residents on this earth, we carry His name as believers in His Son, we are called "Christians."  We should always remember who we are and who's we are.  And just as Peter exhorts us, even though we are not at home, we are not to adopt the ways of the land in which we are living.  We are to abstain from the ways of disobedience in which we are immersed while living in our land of separation from God, just as the prodigal could have chosen to exhibit the life patterns of his father's teaching rather than those exhibited by the people living in the distant country he found himself in.

Rather than having to return to obedience to our Father, let's make it our goal to never leave lives of obedience.  Let's remember that we are our Father's children, that we have a Father who cares about us, and that our Father's commands and teachings that He has given to us will lead us to lives of godly abundance and peacefulness...and leading us finally to our real home where we will enjoy eternal life in our Father's home forever. 

Day 2 - Week 42 - 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."

Robert J. Morgan states, "In the Bible the definitive book about revival is 2 Chronicles, and this is the key verse."

Revival is usually thought of as a wide-spread turning back to God by large groups of people.  But today, let's think about personal revival and apply this verse to our individual lives.  For I don't know about you, but there are times when I am very much in need of strong spiritual revival, when my spirit has become dry and I have lost my passion.  When my prayer time is lacking zeal and my Bible study is sporadic.  These times set us up for disobedience to creep into our lives, and then we find ourselves farther away from God then we ever intended, and it all starts with the slightest sloughing off of what God is always calling us to do...stay close to Him.

So when we wake up and realize that we are not where we want to be in our relationship with God, what does this verse tell us to do about it? 

First - admit it!  Humble ourselves by saying, "I have really messed up," and I can usually add to that, "again!"   Until we take personal responsibility for falling away, not putting the blame on anyone else, we have not humbled ourselves into the position that God wants us in so that He can restore us.  Remember the prodigal son's statement, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."  That's a statement of true humility.

Second - Pray and seek God.  When we come before God with an opening statement like the prodigal, His heart is softened toward His child.  Pour your heart out before Him and tell Him how you long for His presence and power in your life again.  God's reaction is the same as the father in Jesus' parable, "His father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

Third - Follow through with obedience. We cannot continue patterns of sinfulness and expect restoration and revival.  That does not show true repentance.  We can't say, "God, thanks for taking me back, but while I'm here at your house, I'm going to continue the wild living and every now and then jump back into that pig sty."  God brings us back for a better life, a life that He is ready to show us, but He cannot and will not as long as we are stubborn in our disobedience.  We must turn from our evil ways, whatever they are in our life, and ask for God's will over our lives.

When we do the above, then God's promise is there for us...He will hear from heaven, He will forgive us and He will heal our spirits and our souls and restore us to true relationship with Him.  It's where we always want to be....it's where Satan never wants us to be and will do everything he can to keep us in the "distant country" of rebellion.

If you want to read the full parable of the prodigal, I'm including it here...it is such a beautiful story that so perfectly illustrates the actions listed in our verse of this week.

Luke 15:11-32

11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' 28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Day 1 - Week 42 - Post #217

Over the past 41 weeks, there have been 216 posts to "Hiding Your Words in My Heart."  That averages out at 5.25 posts a week.  I aim to post at least 5 times each week, so that is holding up.  I cannot tell you how good this discipline has been for a very undisciplined person like me!  I have no  idea how meaningful these words of mine are to those of you who read them on a regular basis, but I do have a very strong sense of accountability to you.  Again, if anything is ever said here that you feel is contrary to God's Word, please speak up with a voice of correction.  I am so very, very open to re-looking at any statement made as I am very, very aware of my fallibility!

So, enough about that!  We're hiking on down the road.  If we continue with the allegory of the Appalachian Trail (which I now cannot get out of my head), we have would now be coming out of the northern edge of the Shenandoah National Park in the northern part of Virginia.  I've chosen a picture from that area at this time of year...wouldn't this be a beautiful site?  (Really beautiful if you were viewing it through a window of a nice cozy lodge with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand!)  But that would not be the case if we were hiking!  We would have to be bundled up, prepared for our journey.  Winter hikers are very determined people and don't face their adventure without having the right gear and protection.  That reminds me of Paul's exhortation to us as Christians in Ephesians when he tells us of all the gear that we need in our earthly hike toward eternity.  (Read Ephesians 6:10-18)

So - recapping our journey to date:

The Gift of Prayer (3)

Hebrews 4:16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.

1 John 5:14   Now this is the confidence we have before Him, whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

1 John 5:15   And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

The Gift of Assurance (10)

1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony:  God has given us eternal life and that life is in His Son.

1 John 5:12-13  The one who has the Son has life.  The one who doesn't have the Son of God, does not have life.  I say these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know you have eternal life.

John 14:1  Your heart must not be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansion, if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:3  And if I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you unto Myself, so that where I am, you may be also.

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.  I do not give as the world gives.  Your heart must not be troubled or afraid.

Isaiah 26:3-4  You will keep in perfect peace the mind that is dependent on You, for it is trusting in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed . (KJV)

Isaiah 53:6  We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquities of us all.

Praise and Thanksgiving (4)

1 Peter 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  According to His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Psalm 100:4  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.  Give thanks to Him and praise His name. 

Psalm 100:5  For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Revelation 4:11  You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.

Promises of God (10)

Matthew 6:33  But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)

Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

1 Corinthians 10:13   No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity.  God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

1 John 1:7  But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:9   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 3:-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  (NIV)

1 Corinthians 10:13   No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity.  God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

Psalm 55:22   Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you.  He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

1 Peter 5:7  Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.

We've closed out another section - our section on Promises of God. These have been especially sweet verses to me and ones that I know I will come back to often.  They are great to have in our hearts when people need to hear one of God's promises for them, right at that moment, to give them confidence that God is near and with them.  I hope we share these promises on a regular basis now that we carry them with us.

Our next section is on Obedience.  Boy, right off the bat I think want to go back to God's Promises instead!  But just as if we were hiking the Appalachian Trail, not all sections are easy.  Some of them point out to us that we need to get in better shape---some of them require us to stretch and climb and watch our footing so that we don't slip along the way.  This may be one of those types of sections of the trail!  Let's see how we start out with our first verse.  It is one that is often quoted when people are making a call for our nation to return to a higher level of Christian faith, but I'm going to ask each one of us to apply it to our personal lives, individually....

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from the evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Day 7 - Week 41 - 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you."

From Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible:

Cast "all you care;" personal cares, family cares, cares for the present, and cares for the future, for yourselves, for others, for the church, on God. These are burdensome, and often very sinful, when they arise from unbelief and distrust, when they torture and distract the mind, unfit us for duties, and hinder our delight in the service of God. The remedy is, to cast our care upon God, and leave every event to his wise and gracious disposal. Firm belief that the Divine will and counsels are right, calms the spirit of a man. Truly the godly too often forget this, and fret themselves to no purpose. Refer all to God's disposal. The golden mines of all spiritual comfort and good are wholly his, and the Spirit itself. Then, will he not furnish what is fit for us, if we humbly attend on him, and lay the care of providing for us, upon his wisdom and love?

From John Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament

We may observe that the heart of the blessed apostle is where the Lord had placed it. " Feed my sheep" was the expression of the Lord's perfect grace towards Peter...Thus we see, here, that it is the apostle's care, the desire of the heart, that they should feed the flock.

The young were to submit themselves to those who were older, and all to one another. All were to be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. These are still the principles of His government. Under His hand they were therefore to humble themselves; they should be exalted in due time. This was to commit themselves to God. He knew what was needful. He who loved them would exalt them at the right time. He cared for them: they were to rest on Him, commit all their cares to Him.

I love reading the commentaries of these men from centuries past (the parts I especially love are in bold italics).  It deeply encourages me to hear them reflect many of the same thoughts that I have in reading Scriptures, but theirs expressed in writings that are so eloquent.  I'm realistic enough to realize that my little notes jotted down on an obscure blog will most likely not survive the next ten years, let alone centuries.  But all thoughts, centered on Scripture, and written with a sincerely seeking heart will be, I believe, used in some way to bring glory to God. 

I'm amazed when I see that this blog is being read by people all around the globe and I wonder at times what you are thinking about what this Janice Hodges from Amarillo, Texas, is saying.  I would love to hear from you...if you can possibly leave a comment, I would be so encouraged by it.

Just as we can feel united to our Christian brothers and sisters of centuries ago through written words, we can also feel united with our Christian siblings throughout this world by utilizing new technologies allowingus to share our thoughts of faith. 

I am casting my care upon the Lord --- the care of ensuring that His message alone is what is being testified to throughout this blog.  I know I am fallible, but I sincerely want to share His truth with others, and to be an encourager of persevering faith to all Christians, no matter our circumstances.  To remind all that our God cares so deeply for us and that He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.

I am praying for you tonight...thank you for journeying with me.  God cares for us!  Praises!!

Day 6 - Week 41 - 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you."

I just noticed an error that I've been making in reciting and stating this week's verse...I have been stating, "Casting all your cares upon Him...", while the correct recitation should be, "Casting all your care upon Him....". 

What difference does that one little letter make to you?  Well to me, it makes a fairly significant difference.  Just like we discussed that we are to cast all of our cares, big and small, this change makes it an even more complete action on our part.  We don't individually cast our cares, coming to Him and saying, "O God, I have a care that I need to hand over to you."  Instead we can come to Him and say, "O God, here is everything that I care about, it is Yours.  I know you care about me, You have shown me how much You love me, and I know that You are working everything together for my good as I trust You with my life."  Nothing is left in our care, we have turned the power over our life and over our cares to the One who cares more about us than we can even begin to understand.

I am not saying that we still should not present individual cares and concerns to God --- I know He desires our communication with Him over every aspect of our lives.  But reading this verse in this way, transcends its meaning from a verse that centers on the resolution of our individual problems into one that centers on our complete reliance and surrender to God's good and perfect will. 

More and more through the study of our verses I hear the call to surrender my will to the will of the One who has proven His perfect love for me through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.  More and more I am becoming less stubborn and more willing to let go and truly cast my care onto Him.

Robert and I attended a wonderful Christmas service at First Baptist Church of Amarillo tonight.  The music was truly beautiful and was a great way to bring in the Christmas season with a true focus on the birth of our Savior.  I urge each of you to find some way to start your Christmas in a manner that brings Christ to the center of your celebration, and then work at keeping Him there.  It becomes more and more difficult not to get caught up in the worldly holiday season which has become something quite different than the Christmases of my childhood where the norm was to sing "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger."  For those who are not celebrating Christ's birth, I am fine with them not using the term "Christmas", for I am fairly sure that Jesus is not too keen being associated with the holiday as the retailers promote it.  But for believers, I hope we all will proclaim, "Merry Christmas!" and as we do, I hope we also do our very best in making this season a time that allows us to especially extend God's love to others in acts of kindness and compassion, just as God extended it to us all when He sent His Son as the best Christmas gift ever.