Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 6 – 8
While reading chapter six of today’s passage, I noticed in Solomon’s prayer a phrase that appears over and over again: “Hear thou from Heaven”. If you look carefully at the context of each of the times that this phrase was used you will notice that it always involves confession and forgiveness. Basically Solomon was asking the Lord to forgive the people whenever they had come to Him in contrition and confession involving a wrong that the people had committed. Chapter seven tells us that when Solomon had finished praying the fire fell from Heaven and consumed the sacrifices; and also that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple. So, it appears that God was pleased with what Solomon had prayed regarding forgiveness. Why will God continue to forgive and not forsake His people? The answer lies in the Temple itself. Remember the Temple was the place that sacrifices for sin were offered unto God. Now we know that these sacrifices could not atone for sin; but they reminded God of a coming sacrifice: the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary. When God thinks of His Son, He can forgive the people: their debt has been paid in full.
Why do we as God’s people have such a hard time forgiving and reconciling with each other. Like God, we should view the atonement of the shed blood of Christ as payment for the sins that have been committed against us. We fully expect God, and people to forgive us, yet we are so reluctant to forgive others. Or, we say we forgive them with our mouths; but harbor bitterness in our hearts toward them.
One thing that has helped me in this area a long time ago was to actually sit down and consider all of the times that I had blown it; all of the times I had sinned against God. Though, I could only recall a fraction of the actual list, I still had a ponderous number of transgressions listed. I began to think, why would God forgive me? How could He love someone as wicked as myself. The answer – Christ. How can you forgive those who have wronged you? The answer – Christ.
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)
I been thinking about this all day today. As christians we are to empty ourselves of self in order to become more Christ-like. This self-emptying helps to humble us as we strive to lose our flesh and be filled with the Spirit. At this place our hearts are able to forgive and forget. Now here is what I’ve been thinking and I know this may be a little deep. God emptied himself in Heaven and bore Jesus Christ whom being fully God and fully man emptied himself to us that those who believe in Him may have eternal life. When Jesus died He emptied Himself on the cross and formed the Holy Spirit as a gift to us. Then the Holy Spirit began to prick our hearts causing us to empty ourself so that we may have eternal life. And we, once saved empty all of the Love God has bestowed upon us to the lost world so that they also may have eternal life. To empty oneself of self and live completely for God must be a wounderful thing. May God help us all to empty self and live totally for Him; Amen!!!