Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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If, . . . Then . . .
One of the very first challenges that was posted on the Faith Forward site had to do with watching our mouths and how those little things that come out of our little mouths affects the totality of our lives and others too (see the July 10/08 Faith Challenge). On that particular occasion, the primary challenge was that our words reveal our hearts, and we acknowledged but chose not to focus on the fact that as James says, "the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts" (James 3:5). When I think of it that way, however, the heart is likewise a small but very significant part of the body, no matter whether we think in physical or spiritual terms!
I have recently been intrigued by the fact that what we consider small and insignificant often sets in motion things that are much larger. Scripture says that there are "foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom" (Song of Solomon 2:15). On the positive side, Jesus said that "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move" (Matthew 17:20). Little things. Small things. Easily overlooked or passed over things. When no one is looking or around to notice things. Important things even if small. James says:
"When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. . . . Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark" (James 3:3-5).
In this respect, I was stopped dead in my tracks recently by this small word, "if." I was reading a very familiar verse out of 2 Chronicles 7:14. It is a wonderful verse that contains some wonderful promises from God. But God stopped me in my reading of this verse and took me back to the very first word. He said that everything hangs on that one little word, the "if." If the if is an "if not," then all that follows is only nice words. There will be no "then." The "then," and indeed every single "then," that God desires to do, whether written down in a promise or a word or scripture, or anything that God wants to do specifically in our lives or in our congregations, will all just blow away in the wind, unless we do the "if." That little "if" is huge and God is wondering, waiting, longing, hoping, "if, perchance," we might do that which he has suggested so that he can do that which he longs, desires, yearns to do for us and on our behalf. "If only." God wants to bless us, but it depends on what we do with the "ifs."
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).
And, immediately after this, "If, . . . then," God says that, "Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered" (2 Chronicles 7:15). He is watching and waiting and listening and hoping. What will my people do?
We claim to be his people. We are called by his name. We are people of faith. We are the people of God. We are Christians. Will we humble ourselves and pray? A little thing. An insignificant thing in the world's eyes. A thing that nobody sees and Satan will try to convince us is a waste of our time, suggesting that we get busy and do something because there is so much to do, the need is so great. It matters little what people say or what I think, God wants his people to humble themselves and pray. He wants us to confess before him that we can't possibly do or be what the world desperately needs. I humble myself before the Lord of all and ask. And we seek his face. We press in to that place of relationship where we see him and hear his voice. Worship before him. Time spent in his presence. The next thing seems to follow naturally when we do the first two. We will begin to see our sin. We will notice the places where we fall short of the glory that is God. We are looking into his face and then seeing ourselves. God forgive me. I repent. I turn away from that which I have done in the past. Make all things new as you promised you would. "If my people . . ."
Then, I will hear from heaven. Then I will forgive your sin. Then I will heal your land — your circumstances, your situation, the place where you are living. I will, he says. God will. This is his will. His will is to hear our prayers in an answering way, not just to listen to the sounds coming out of our mouths. His will is to forgive us and extend grace and mercy and to clothe us in the righteousness of Jesus. His will is to give us abundantly of his Holy Spirit, his fullness, full to overflowing in our lives. His will is to change our land, our situations, our families, our marriages, our churches, our lives, our finances, our everything. "If anyone is in Christ, then they are a new creation!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). But it all hangs on our "If"!
And this is true of every single "if" in the Bible. Conversion, comfort, forgiveness, healing, you name it, every single one waits for our little "if." And then, when that is set in motion, "then" God gives grace, saves, delivers, restores, heals, forgives, performs miracles on our behalf! Then God gets to do what he desperately longs to do! The Lord Almighty says,
"Test me in this, . . . and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it" (Malachi 3:10).
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