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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
“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 will I hear from heaven and will fl their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
I recently received a small devotional book from a blogging friend. As I read part of it one morning, I felt the need for God’s presence to be near the circumstance she described. As I thought about different issues affecting Christian people, I found myself asking God to “Come by Here.”
The African Spiritual song, “Kumbayah”1 translates to our expression, “Come by here.” With all the illness, uncertainty, animosities, and abusive behavior in our world, we truly need God’s presence to guide us through these tenuous times.
It is important to stay close to God during times of upheaval. We read of the church in Acts growing during times of persecution. A lot of the World War Two movies I have seen show churches as a major part of the life of the people. Immediately after 9/11, people felt the churches would be full.
We need to adhere to 2 Chronicles 7:14 and:
1.) Humble ourselves before God, recognize who we are in relation to Him.
2.) Pray from our hearts. Get serious about approaching God and truly listen to Him.
3.) get serious about our relationship with Him—look Him in the eye,
4.) Repent of our sins—even those ‘cute Christian’ ones.
When we follow God’s instructions and do these things, He will act on the needs we have in our land. It is imperative that we recognize that God is in control and has the last word in all circumstances.
Yes, our world seems to be in a constant state of change. But God is steadfast, faithful, and always present for us, His children. Each day brings reminders of the presence of the enemy. God’s presence is also evident. The ensuing battle belongs to God (2 Chronicles 20:15), not to us. We can only act on what He allows us to.
I have a dear friend who confessed to me she had been confronted with a serious issue when someone caused great hurt to her and her family. This was several years ago; I recently was shown by the LORD who that someone was. As I reflected on what I knew of the circumstance, I realized my friend had to distance herself from this other person. When I shared my experience from that other person with her, my friend told me what had happened to cause her choice to create a buffer between them. Now, my friend did not allude to the time of the issue but I realize all of this has made my friend draw closer to the LORD.
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- “Kum Ba Yah” is anAfrican-American spiritual song first recorded in the 1920s. It became a standard campfire song in Scouting and summer camps and enjoyed broader popularity during the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s. (From Wikipedia) "Kumbaya, my Lord" was first recorded by an out-of-work English professor, Robert Winslow Gordon, in 1927.(from AlphaDictionary.com)
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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