2 Chronicles 6:21
Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel
when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and
when you hear, forgive.
I had a good laugh weeks ago when we were finalizing our island trip.
We were supposed to go with four other girls for rest and
recreation-slash-mission exposure, but one of the girls backed out. When I
asked her best bud for reasons, she blurted, ‘She hates the sun!’. She further
shared that their last trip to the beautiful Boracay ended up with more time inside
the room than the shoreline. Unimagineable! Going beach-fun minus the beach
part? Hahaha!! Of course, she’s just exaggerating for my entertainment.
Reading Solomon’s lengthy prayer of dedication, you’d never miss
seeing the word FORGIVE. You’d actually bump into it per major point he
uttered. Whether in enemy’s defeat, in drought, in affliction or in captivity,
the wrap up all spelled the word FORGIVE. Even his opening, general plea for
God to look and hear from heaven ended
with the word FORGIVE. We have to remember that the context here was temple
dedication. It wasn’t like he was asked to make a word study or confess something
recent. He was unveiling the purpose why the temple was built, that is, to make
peace with God. It implied that the asking, the blessings, our worship, our
service, were all in the context of such mercies. The temple is the meeting of
man’s greatest need and God’s greatest gift. It is why we go to church.
But is it why we go to church? The program-centered, modern version
is we go to church to teach Sunday School, meet with our fellowship groups,
take sermon notes, sing with the worship team, and yes, stay after service to plan for more
activities. Nothing wrong with those. The principles were even Bible-based. But
not at the expense of forgetting the central theme of coming to worship. Jesus
called the temple the House of Prayer. And by prayer, He meant, acknowledging
who God is and adjusting your life, and requests, accordingly. That is why forgiveness
is sought. We don’t go in with that wide gap and expect we’re instantaneously close
and readily asking or serving or praising. “Away with you noise of your songs.
I cannot stand the hypocrisy in your assemblies!” were His words in Amos’ time. “The
sacrifice He desires is a broken spirit. He will not reject a broken and
repentant heart” (Psalm 51). Have that check before and while you’re in church
this Sunday. It’s why you’re there. Not for Mother’s Day, ok :>
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