Miracles Welcome | Miracles Start in the Heart

2 Chronicles 7:14
“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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Note: If you don’t have time to read this, skip down to the end and listen to the awesome song I posted a link to. It is very inspiring and encouraging.

In times of crisis, I hear this verse a lot (and boy, is our world in crisis now). People draw comfort from it. Sometimes they become zealous because of it, calling everyone to repentance of sin. This is not a bad thing. But I feel like sometimes the focus is not in the right place.

We, as Christians can tend to focus on the more overt sins of “others” - promiscuity, abuse, crime, whatever. Turn from your wicked ways, and our land will be healed. But we forget the first two commands in the verse.

First, we need to humble ourselves. OURSELVES. Not humble others. This involves a willingness to hear from God regarding what we ourselves need to repent of. The answer may be much less obvious things than the “big sins” we focus on.

It could be egotistical pride. Imagine what could be done in our states and countries if all the people, including leaders, worked together in humility! Or if we, including myself, would pray for our leaders instead of complaining about them or making fun of them?

It could be an insensitive attitude: “Why are they so upset? That’s not my fault.” (This is not a partisan statement; I think we’ve all been guilty of this.)

Maybe we need to repent of hopelessness or despair, which is in essence a lack of faith. Yeah, that’s the one that I’m struggling with the most lately. I know in my head that God is in control, but wow, it’s so hard to convince my heart of that sometimes.

That’s why I think the biggest miracles aren’t the obvious things we can see. Sure, the parting of the Red Sea or the feeding of thousands of people from a few fish and bread loaves and things like that are amazing, but I want to challenge us (yup, including me), to seek the unseen miracles. The miracles of the heart. First by humbling ourselves. And then by seeking His face.

This second step is just as abstract and seemingly elusive as the first one. But it is not as hard as we make it out to be. And it is crucial. Come to God with a humble heart, willing to listen. Ask Him where we need changes in our heart. We might not like what we hear. But it is for our best, for His glory, and evidently a necessary step for the wide-scale miracle of healing our land. And best of all, it brings us into a closer relationship with Him! Pour out your heart. The good, the bad, and the ugly. He can handle it. Changing your heart may take time. Hearing from Him may take time. That’s okay. Keep seeking Him. Keep pressing in. Keep an open heart, willing to listen.

And of course, we then need to act on what we hear. Turn our hearts to His ways, not our own. Repent of any “wickedness,” even if it’s not an action but a hardness of heart. Then, we will start to see miracles. Sure, we may not see a vaccine or cure for Covid-19 right away, or economic recovery from the damage done by it. We may not see full racial reconciliation in our community/country/world right away. But we will start to see small miracles in our own heart and in the hearts of those around us. And I believe that those small miracles have a cumulative effect.

We may need to come together as a church or a country in corporate repenting and lamenting our sins. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel did this sometimes, and prophets and other leaders led and took part in a nationwide time of lamenting and repenting, even if the leaders hadn’t participated in the sin themselves. Ezra and Daniel are examples of this. I took part in the Be the Bridge book study here at CitySalt, and the author Latasha Morrison reminds us of this concept. It will definitely take humility and wisdom from God, which is why 2 Chronicles 7:14 starts out with those steps. It’s easy to say “I wasn’t part of that,” but if I have benefitted from it, I can still take part in the lamenting and repenting of it, and be a part of the miracle that God promises in the end of the verse. This is a polarizing concept in our country right now, and I don’t want to make anyone feel pressure for this regarding any specific issue we’re facing. I believe it will come about naturally if we are willing to come to God in humility and seek His wisdom by listening to the Holy Spirit, and acting on that.

I want to leave you with something that greatly encouraged my heart this week. At the Teen Challenge thrift store, I picked up a few used CDs, including a newer Kirk Franklin album. The second song is called, fittingly, “Miracles.” It’s about how we ourselves are God’s miracles. It inspired my thoughts for this post on how the biggest miracles are in our hearts. And it brought me hope and joy. Please take a few minutes to listen to it when you get a chance, because I think it may do the same for you.

Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment Miracles · Kirk Franklin / 柯克富蘭克林 Losing My Religion ℗ 2015 RCA Records a division on Sony Music Entertainmen...

Also, I found this article by John Piper to be helpful in understanding the miracle of God healing our hardness of heart so we can see Him more clearly: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-god-opens-the-eyes-of-the-heart

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About the Author

Jessie is an educator, she currently teaches teens and has taught overseas. She is also a novice writer, with several books in various stages and a (long-neglected) blog about the journeys of women. She is very excited to be a part of the CitySalt blog team. She has been blessed by a few communities of Christian writers that have encouraged her dream. She lives with her trusty sidekick cat, Arwen in the foothills of South Eugene, where she can go hiking within minutes of the sun coming out from behind the clouds.

"The One Who Went Down to His House Justified" by Randi Nelson

I was recently sharing a story that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector at prayer in the temple (Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee, respected, learned, religiously at the top of the righteousness game, thanked God that he was not a sinner like other men, especially not like the tax collector across the way. The tax collector, on the other hand, “would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I was surprised, as I related the tax collector’s part, to find my eyes stinging and my throat tightening with tears. For a moment, I was in his place, broken, humbled, and seeking mercy from God.

He could have been bitter, wanting nothing to do with God or with that self-sanctified Pharisee and others like him. Rome had dumped this job on him; his neighbors despised him for it. Trapped, he could have become churlish, turning to abuse of his power over collections levies to buy his escape.

Instead, with honesty about his brokenness, he turned to God for mercy. His admission of sinfulness cut to the core; it stripped away all pretense. Why did I start to cry when telling his story? Because I realized that I am he; and I want to be more like him. I want to be more familiar with raw humility and honesty about my sinfulness. I don’t want my right-doing to insulate me from right-being.

Most times, I’m not under as much pressure as this man, so I can start to look and act more like the Pharisee. God forbid that I should become so insulated that I can’t be real with myself and with God. Because, as Jesus says, the one who truly “went down to his house justified” was the one

• who beat his breast in recognition that he was poor in spirit
• who mourned his plight
• who was meek, standing afar and unwilling to lift his eyes
• who hungered and thirsted for righteousness by acknowledging his sinfulness
• whose honesty revealed a purity of heart
•  who was persecuted even for his desire for righteousness

He is the one who was “blessed” (Matthew 5:1-11).

I love this guy. I’m so thankful his story moves me; there’s hope for this crusty heart of mine.

Isaiah 57:15 – For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite”.

Psalm 51:6, 17 – Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart … The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

"Imagination as Used by the Lord" by Laura Rice

Sunday evening Mike, in his talk about anger, challenged us to go to God and let Him show us any hidden and /or closed room in our hearts. Explaining, he walked us into a room of cobwebs and dust, long-neglected. Then we were to let God show us what this room represented in us. Perhaps a place of anger or unforgiveness that needed cleansing, healing or repentance. Maybe He will open our eyes to something in the room. We may know immediately what it symbolizes or we may have to wait and ask God to show us.

In this process of imagining, God reveals our heart-wounds and lead us to healing or confession. Places in us that are shut, blocked off or fearfully locked, can be accessed by His Spirit as He uses our own imaginations to explore and reveal. Engaging the imagination and inviting the Holy Spirit to guide us is a gift given by God. Often our imaginations will bring symbols to mind. Sunshine to bring light, a garden to show deadness or growth and beauty. Many people think in pictures. It’s an everyday experience for children, but many adults lose their ability by doubt or over-intellectualizing.

Many adults need their imaginations cleansed of all the unhealthy images. These images can block the true and good imagination, polluting it. Prayer and healing may be needed to set a person free to use their God-given imaginations for good. God gave us our imaginations to be a healthy faculty to be used by the Holy Spirit. One concern that sometimes arises is whether these imaginings are like New Age guided imagery. God showing us something using our own imaginations is so different.

A Christian is covered by the Holy Spirit and protected. We are not “wide-open” to just anyone or anything. I’ve had many opportunities to practice this exercise of asking God to use my imagination by His Holy Spirit. Often, not surprisingly, because of who I am the picture or image can be funny. During one such time I saw a red telephone booth. At first I wondered what this could mean. Then the Lord spoke to me; “You don’t have to go to any particular place to talk to me. I am available to to you anywhere and any time.” It’s like having a cell phone. Another time the question was,, “Ask God to show you the condition of your heart.” So I did and I immediately saw a popsicle stick fence, apparently to guard my heart. I felt God was showing me that I did not trust Him At the same time I had devised a ridiculous fence to keep my heart safe. From these and many more such experiences, I sat down today and asked God to show me if there was any locked door in my heart. And He faithfully walked me thru another look into my inner being.

Thanks Mike for the suggestion.

Ez 13:12

Eph 3:20

Heb. 4:12-13 attitudes translated imaginations.

"Responses" by Laura Rice

Our response when confronted about our sin is a significant clue to the condition of our hearts
before others and God.  When John spoke Sunday evening, he sought to illustrate the different
ways we may react.  He succinctly told of 6 scriptural scenarios.

Adam and Eve were disobedient. Their responses were classic: Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. They were grieved by the consequences God pronounced but failed to truly repent. The story of Cain and Abel clearly shows, again, a man warned and bent toward sin, who when confronted arrogantly deflects his actions and even moans and complains about God’s meting out of consequence.

King Saul was the most clueless about his sin.  He is proud of his accomplishments as a warrior
and seems to easily ignore God’s instructions about offerings.  His arrogance and bitterness follow him forward throughout his life.

These 3 recountings have the same theme. No one wants to take responsibility for their sin.  Each has a wrong view of God and of the severity of disobedience.The next 3 stories demonstrate God’s desire for us when we sin. Judah, the fourth son of Israel and Leah go through some trials in order to own his sin.  He had previously attempted to save his brother Joseph when the other brothers were intent on killing him.  He had compassion.

This is many years before he sins against Tamar.  When she does confront him he takes responsibility and even makes full retribution to her for the denial of a husband.  I see again
his heart of compassion and his taking responsibility for his actions. David was already set up for sin when he doesn’t join his men at war and steps out of his palace and sees Bathsheba. Then when he is tempted by Bathsheba’s beauty he takes what he wants and even has her
husband killed when her pregnancy is realized. 

It takes the prophet, Nathan, to voice the truth of what he’s done, but David quickly repents before God. Then there is the short story of the tax collector who knows who he is and what he has done, and then repents. This is contrasted to the Pharisee who thinks highly of himself.
The moral of these stories is:  Keep our hearts open to hear from God; read the word to stay in touch with what God desires from us both in word and actions;  allow God to examine our hearts; and allow others to expose attitudes and deep ungodly leanings in us; remain humble.   

I have done all of what the first 3 stories have showed.  I definitely have hidden my sin from God and others.  I have learned that is a miserable way to live.  Blaming my sin on someone else or on circumstances left me feeling nervously deceitful.  Coming clean may be hard but there is a great relief in agreeing with God.  I have also been warned by God before I chose to sin.  Though that seems like a no-brainer (to listen to Him), temptation and bondage are powerful.  Our hearts can be incredibly deceitful. I have learned to repent and forgive quickly.  We know God will help us through because this is His will, to be in right standing with Himself and others.
 

"Constructing a Soul" by Laura Rice

Once we believe and invite the Lord Jesus into our lives, we must “go on to construct a Soul”. This is a quote from C.S. Lewis, shared by the late author and pastoral care leader LeAnne Payne. I remember when hearing this for the first time, how it struck me as such an insight of truth and challenge.

I had been a Christian long enough to experience disappointment in my performance and to see the failings in other believers. We all know believers who profess their faith, and yet show huge deficiencies in their characters. I recently spoke with someone who helps to arrange cruise events for groups. She has experienced and heard reported that Christians are the most demanding and the stingiest with tipping personnel. 

Also, statistics show that Christians are less likely to tip serving staff at a restaurant. Where is the gap between the message of a generous and sacrificial God and the actions of so many who supposedly represent Him? What does it mean to construct a soul? I can’t answer that question comprehensively, but I will list some things that I have learned regarding the need to know self and to know God.

One, it is God who examines our hearts and reveals sin and disobedience. Secondly, if we allow for this interchange, God will reveal this to us and convict us about our soul health.  This probing by the Lord is not to depress us or leave us broken. 

Again, C.S. Lewis says, “The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  With God’s prompting, our job is to repent and then cooperate with the process of change. To truly repent is to turn and walk another way. We choose to walk another way and He strengthens us to do it.

One way we offer ourselves to God for soul health is by reading His word.  In Hebrews it says that the Word of God is alive and powerful to divide between soul and Spirit and the thoughts and intents of the heart.  As we read, His word will read us.  We need to develop new habits. 

As we all know, the changing of a habit is very difficult.  But through our choices and God’s grace, it is possible.  God stirs up the need to change and we respond over and over again.  We ask Him for His empowering grace, as we learn to say no to old ways and yes to new ways.  I love the verse that says, “He who began a good work in you will be faithful complete it.”  As we stay in a humble stance before Him and others, and keep an open and listening heart, He will guide us on the path to maturity and soul health.

Scriptures:

Psalm 139

Hebrews 4:12-13

Hebrews 13:20-21