APR 2

2 Chronicles 7:14
Memorise 2 Chronicles 7:14
“If my people… seek my face… then will I hear from heaven…”

Solomon had just finished building the temple – the dwelling place of God on earth. He had made a wonderful prayer of dedication, and had dedicated the altar unto the Lord. It was at this juncture that the Lord appeared to him to encourage him and assure him that his prayers had been heard. God had seen Solomon’s work, and was pleased to use the place as a house of sacrifice. God also warned Solomon that indeed if the people were to sin, heaven would be shut up to them because of their iniquities (2 Chronicles 6:26-27). Yet if they were to repent, humble themselves and earnestly seek the Lord in prayer, He would be quick to forgive and heal the land. In this we see the grave importance of seeking the Lord, for the opposite of it is sin, and it invokes the judgment of God.

Yet despite knowing this, many teens do not see the necessity of seeking after God. Because life is comfortable, and everything seems to be going well, they do not feel a need to depend on God nor seek after Him. They are foolish to ignore that all good things come from God (James 1:17), just as the rich man did to his own destruction in Luke 16:19-31. Never take God for granted. If you call Him God, if He is really God to you, then realise that even today, He controls everything, even the food that you partake, and the life that you breathe, and thus you must seek after Him for your very existence. We are called by the name of Christ because even before we first sought Him, Christ died for us that we might be reconciled to the Almighty God. How ungrateful we are if we choose sin instead of seeking Him. Christ loves us so much that He gave His life to save us from sin’s penalty – eternal death. Nay, dear teen, humble yourself before Almighty God, acknowledging that you must pray to Him to provide what you need for your life on earth, just as He provides salvation in Christ Jesus. Do not be arrogant to think that you only need to seek Him for some desires you cannot fulfil; if you do not humble yourself in acknowledging that all that you have comes from Him and not give Him the glory in thanksgiving, be sure that He will not hear your prayer. Do not wait for disaster to strike before you finally seek after God.

Thought: Is it easier to seek after God in times of trial, or to seek Him in times of comfort?
Prayer: Lord, may I humble myself before Thee before I am humbled by Thee.