Humility, Holiness, Healing
Dr. Valson Abraham
A significant event in the life of Solomon is
recorded in 2 Chronicles 7. The Lord appears to Solomon a second time in a
dream. Solomon perceived that it is God who spoke to him. Whenever God touches us,
we know in our heart and realize that it is a supernatural intervention. Solomon
realized that he was favorable to God because God took the trouble to appear
him visibly and vocally to him. This chapter also talks about the conclusion of
the dedication of the temple. The Glory of God filled the temple. Solomon had
the assurance that God listened to his payer because the fire of Lord came and
consumed the sacrifice. Holy fear came upon the priests and the people, and there
was even a holy silence. People fell on their knees and began to worship and
praise God.
The feast of tabernacles lasted for seven
days. After the dedication, God appeared to Solomon again and assures him that
he had heard his prayer. He also reminds Solomon that if he sins again, there would
not be any rain in the land, rather, there will be pestilence and drought. The
solution was to humble oneself. God resists the proud but gives grace to the
humble. Pride was the cause for Lucifer’s downfall. Pride leads to destruction.
Jesus said, I saw with my eyes how Lucifer fell like lightening from heaven. Pride
leads to more problems. Pride is evil, cruel and selfish. When a person is
filled with pride, he will trample on another. When a person fills with pride,
whatever the person does will be corrupt and corrosive.
God then gives a command to Solomon. He says,
I want you to pray. When we cry out to God in prayer, and humble ourselves, God
is merciful, Then God issues another command, I not only want you to be humble
and pray, but I want you to turn from your wicked ways. I want you to make a u-turn
and go back to where you want to go. Then Lord says, If you seek my face
diligently, and if you repent and confess your sins, if you change your mind,
healing will take place. There is no healing without confession. There is no
forgiveness of sins without confession. You can’t go to God through the back
door. If you have sinned, you need to say, Lord I have sinned and make a confession
to God. Then God is giving Solomon his father’s example of obedience to God.
David was not perfect or sinless. He committed major sins in his life. He
committed adultery with Bathsheba, He murdered Bathsheba’s husband Uriah. He
tried to cover up his sins. God was not showing David as a sinless perfection.
He was showing how David repented whenever he was confronted about his sin. Whenever
you are convicted of your sin, you need to repent and confess your sins and
need to keep your heart tender before God.
A few years ago, a PhD scholar from Cambridge
University was marvelously saved and was longing to serve God. He felt the call
for being a missionary. There was a vacancy in one mission agency to teach mathematics
in a elementary school in a remote part of Africa. He sent his resume but got a
reply that he was over-qualified. He did not give up but kept writing back, saying
I feel God is calling me to go to this place and to proclaim Gospel through the
avenue of teaching. The board finally agreed to give him an interview. It was a
snowy December day in England. He was given an appointment at 4:30 in the
morning. He promptly came to the office only to find it closed. After a patient
wait for 4 hours, the secretary and the director arrived at 8:30 am. The first
question for the interview was, can you spell the word ‘Baker’? This man
politely answered, BAKER. The second question was what is 2 plus 2? To this, the
man answered 4. The director closed the interview. After a few days, the board
met together to discuss the interview and the selection process. The board
asked the director, did you interview the candidate? He said, Yes, I did and
went on to explain. First, I tested his punctuality. Secondly I tested his patience.
I made him wait for four hours but he did not show any sign of impatience or anger.
The third area of test was on attitude. I asked him the simple question, but he
answered politely. Then he said, I tested in the area of humility. I saw his
whole demeanor of humility and gentleness and saw him fit for teaching in an
elementary school. Humility is the foundation of all virtues. When God looks at
the heart he wants to know whether we come with a heart of humility and contrite
spirit. God was instructing Solomon the importance of humility in one’s life.
The center theme of the Bible is holiness. We
are repeatedly told, be holy, for I am holy. God is reminding us again and
again how important it is to be holy. In the New Testament, James and Peter
instructs the believer to be Holy, for God is Holy. True love for God must
begin with our understanding that God takes delight in our holiness. God wants
to form and shape our life to see that we become more and more in the likeness
of Jesus Christ. Every revival that God has sent in the world has always been attached
in the holiness displayed in that revival. The church is defined by the holiness
that is manifested in that Church. That happens when we begin to think as God
thinks, when we love as God loves, when we hate what God hates, when we acts as
God intends us to act. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement offered
a prayer like this, Lord give me 100 men, who love Lord with their whole mind,
strength and soul. Give me 100 men who fear Sin with their whole strength; I
will shake this generation with the love of God. It takes only a handful of people to shake
the generation but they need to love God with all their strength. A Holy person
is a powerful weapon in the hand of God.
When we come in contact with God, we realize
our unworthiness and the holiness of God. When Peter came in close proximity
with Jesus, he said to Jesus, Depart from me for I am a sinful man. When Isaiah
was in the presence of God, He realized how unworthy he was. Proximity with God
will help us to realize how unworthy we are. When we come and ask Lord to
illuminate our mind and remove the confusion from my mind and help us to
understand true holiness, God will illuminate our mind. The will of God is to make us holy so that we
can pursue holiness in life. Sanctification is not automatic. It takes place
when we discipline ourselves and seek God intentionally. George Muller was used
greatly by God. He read the entire Bible on his knees 89 times. He respected
and reverently read Gods Word. When we do what God asks us to do, and when we
seek the Lord faithfully, God will do great things. God’s hands will touch our
lives and our society.
Healing will not only come to me but healing
will come to the land where I dwell.
Would you pray Lord sent healing to this land; Kerala has the highest
literacy in India, the highest rate of suicide, more divorces more than another
place in India. According to Reuters, Kerala also has the highest rate of
manipulation and abuse of women. We need healing in our land. India needs
healing. It begins in my humility, in my
prayers, with my discipline, with my repentance.
Are you ready to follow the instructions God
gave to Solomon? These are very simple instructions that could be understood
even by a child. We all long for revival and pray for revival. Here the revival
begins. It begins with humbling ourselves, humbly seeking the face of Lord, and
deciding to turn away from al wicked ways and repent.
PRAYER: Lord I cry out to you. I need healing in my life. I need healing in my family. I need healing in my church. I need healing in my land. Lord, please begin that healing through me. I humble myself to you, Lord. I want to follow your path of holiness. I will intentionally seek your face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
