Is There Not a Cause?
And the children of Israel (Jacob) groaned and sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out. And their cry for help because of their bondage [ascended to God. 24 So God heard their groaning and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). Exodus 2:23b-24 (AMP)
Today is the 3rd of November. We, as a nation are going into the second month of a government shutdown. As I listened to messages on yesterday come from a couple of the pulpits of churches I believe in. I was encouraged to remember the words of 2 Chronicles 7:14. A passage frequently quoted for years. I asked myself though, how many Christians believe that if they do, then God will do what He said in this passage? I asked myself, “do I believe it”? For if I truly believed it I would not be downcast, but already rejoicing with the anticipation of what God is going to do!
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I faithfully read my Bible and pray. I attend church every Sunday I can – and attend various Bible studies during the week. I prefaced this statement by saying, “as a believer”, not as a “Christian”. Sometimes there is a difference. You can believe something exists, without believing in its’ true purpose and aligning yourself with its’ true purpose. How many of us say we believe Jesus is the Son of God, only to look for man-made institutions to be the source of our supply?
Yes, I know we pay taxes and we expect certain things from the government. The children of Israel in the second chapter of Exodus did more than pay taxes; their very lives were in bondage to the Egyptians, and because they continued to grow in number, the Egyptians gave them more work to do, and even attempted to kill their sons at birth to prohibit growth of their population.
Yet, we see here that the children of Israel’s cry for help was not to Pharoh – they knew there was no help there. Their cry for help was to the God who they heard about from Abraham, Issac and Jacob. And interestingly enough this God who had made covenant with Abraham, Issac and Jacob heard them and remembered that He had made a covenant with the same. It was here that things began to change.
I contend that the same God hears our groanings today. He made it abundantly clear in
2 Chronicles 7:14 that He was not waiting for a mass unified nation. No, “If my people, who are called by my Name…” – have you ever considered that God is waiting for His people to cry out to bring an end to some of these political stalemates? Did God not say:
One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who is fighting for you, just as He promised you. Joshua 23:10
Selah – Let’s pause and think this over,
Maria