Are You Living a Humble Life

Are You Living a Humble Life
Lesson for 6:16:2017

2^nd Chronicles 7:14   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.

First it says, if my people, who is the writer speaking of, what people?

Then it says who are called by my name. How do we know who are the ones called?

These particular people were the Jewish people. They were the ones God calls his own, the chosen ones.

According to Jewish tradition, the writer was Ezra, and he was writing to all of Israel.

This was written approximately four thirty BC. 2^nd chronicles relates to the time of history of Judah’s corrupt and idolatrous kings.

Solomon was a wise king, who served God and built cities. Solomon prayed and asks God to make provisions for the people when they sinned.

God answered with four conditions for forgiveness. God said, 1. Humble yourselves by admitting your sins, 2. Pray to God asking him for forgiveness.

3. Seek God continually, 4. Turn away from sinful behavior.

True repentance is more than talk, it is changed behavior.

Whether we sin as individuals or as a group or as a nation, following these steps will lead to forgiveness

God will always answer our earnest prayers.

Today we have a new covenant called the covenant of grace through Christ Jesus.

We are called the redeemed children of God and heirs of God through the finished work at the cross.

We are to humble ourself to the one that became humble, Jesus Christ.

Being humble is to be submissive to the divine will of God.

God plainly set forth certain conditions for Solomon to meet if he wanted the kingdom to continue. If Solomon followed God, he and his descendants would prosper.

3 John 1:2   ² Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

If we will humble ourselves and be submissive to God and his divine word, we and our descendants will prosper and be in health.

God’s rules have never changed, it didn’t change for Solomon and the rules are not going to change for us.

James 4:10   ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

If we want God to lift us up we must humble ourselves and draw near to the things of God, and he will draw near to you.

God told Solomon if he didn’t follow these conditions that He had set before him, he and the nation of Israel would be destroyed.

In Duet. 27-28 these conditions were outlined before all the people of Israel.

Solomon eventually turned from God and as result his son and heir lost most of the kingdom.

Following God and humbling ourselves to Him brings benefits and rewards.

Turning away from God can bring suffering, punishment and ultimately destruction.

Today, Gods conditions are just as clear as they were in Solomon’s day.

But some how a lot of us including Believers seem to think they can live the way they want and God will overlook it.

It is really difficult for us to imagine that such a great and wise king that God had richly blessed could become corrupted by idols, symbols of power, prosperity and sexual perversion.

It is the same today; people are lured into some of the same evil traps.

When we allow any desire to rival Gods proper place in our heart we have taken the first step toward moral and spiritual decay.

Be humble in Gods grace, keep praying and reading his word. Trust in God.

Being good does not make you humble, being humble makes you good.