Weekly Devotionals
Week of Monday, September 21 – Saturday, September 26
Take a Knee - Man as a Chaplain
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 (NKJV)
As you know, I have given nearly all of my adult life to support and defend the U.S. Constitution and this nation. So, it comes as no surprise for you to hear me say that I love America. That is a given. And that is why I am deeply concerned about our future, particularly when I see all that is happening in the present. From the virus that nearly brought life to a halt to the violence in our streets, America is in trouble. For the last 20 years, we seem to be lurching from crisis to crisis, whether it is from a terrorist attack, natural disasters like fires, floods, storms, and earthquakes, economic crises, political bloodbaths, racial unrest and rioting, or whatever. We are as divided as a nation as I have seen since the Vietnam War era.
Maybe, just maybe, it is time to consult God’s word for the way out of the mess we are in as a nation. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of a better Scripture remedy than 2 Chronicles 7:14.
While this admonition was originally written to God’s people Israel, it has application to God’s people in America and every other nation for that matter. God told Solomon what the nation should do when various calamities came as a result of their sin and disobedience (see 7:12-13). Verse 14 is a call to humility, prayer, and repentance in response to God’s temporal judgments.
The first step is humility before a Holy God. Once we sincerely humble ourselves before God, then we must seriously pray and seek God’s face. Finally, we must decisively turn from whatever sin God identifies in our lives. If we will do that, God may show us mercy. He may hear our prayers, forgive our sins, and heal our land. So guys, take a knee.
Take a Knee - Man as a Chaplain
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 (NKJV)
As you know, I have given nearly all of my adult life to support and defend the U.S. Constitution and this nation. So, it comes as no surprise for you to hear me say that I love America. That is a given. And that is why I am deeply concerned about our future, particularly when I see all that is happening in the present. From the virus that nearly brought life to a halt to the violence in our streets, America is in trouble. For the last 20 years, we seem to be lurching from crisis to crisis, whether it is from a terrorist attack, natural disasters like fires, floods, storms, and earthquakes, economic crises, political bloodbaths, racial unrest and rioting, or whatever. We are as divided as a nation as I have seen since the Vietnam War era.
Maybe, just maybe, it is time to consult God’s word for the way out of the mess we are in as a nation. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of a better Scripture remedy than 2 Chronicles 7:14.
While this admonition was originally written to God’s people Israel, it has application to God’s people in America and every other nation for that matter. God told Solomon what the nation should do when various calamities came as a result of their sin and disobedience (see 7:12-13). Verse 14 is a call to humility, prayer, and repentance in response to God’s temporal judgments.
- Humility: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves.” The original Hebrew word basically means to “bend the knee.” We must humble ourselves before the Lord and encourage the same as we lead our families. When was the last time your family saw you “take a knee” and pray? So as chaplains, start by demonstrating humility. Take a knee like you did when you were playing sports. But unlike so many professional athletes, let your kneeling be an act of humility rather than defiance. Let your family and your friends see you kneel. Maybe they will get the message and do the same.
- Prayer: “If My people who are called by My name will…pray and seek my face.” Many times, I have found myself in a serious bind and was prompted to pray, and God was faithful to answer. And my praying mom reached heaven and God brought me out of the pit more than once. He literally saved my life multiple times. We need to lead our families to pray and seek God’s face on behalf of America. These desperate times call for desperate prayer.
- Repentance: “If My people who are called by My name will…turn from their wicked ways.” This is the tough part. It is easy to point the finger at the Marxist rioters, socialist politicians, pro-abortion and LGBTQ activists, propaganda pushers in the media, and the indoctrinators in our universities and reach the conclusion that they are the problem. They are among the myriad of reasons God is judging America. But we need to own our part in this mess as individuals. We need to turn from our own wicked ways. Dump the junk in your life. Just stop it and walk away. Whether it is a drug or alcohol addiction, gambling habit, or porn problem, it is time to unload that and get a fresh start through forgiveness and redemption.
The first step is humility before a Holy God. Once we sincerely humble ourselves before God, then we must seriously pray and seek God’s face. Finally, we must decisively turn from whatever sin God identifies in our lives. If we will do that, God may show us mercy. He may hear our prayers, forgive our sins, and heal our land. So guys, take a knee.
- Based on this 2 Chronicles 7:14, what can you do to be a better spiritual chaplain for your family, church, community, and nation?
- As you lead your family to pray, take a knee occasionally as an object lesson that we bow before God as a family. Set aside some specific time to plead with God for our nation.
- While 2 Chronicles 7:14 is true for individual believers, it was written as a corporate call to all God’s people. Encourage your pastor to lead your church to spend some time on their knees on behalf of America.