should they be the victims of heartless legalism, which is based on
rules and regulations devoid of personal relationship and the love and
grace of God. In short, parents must be models of the renewal and revival they
desire for their children and for future generations.
GOD’SREQUIREMENTS FORRENEWAL
It seems as if every Christian leader who wants to bring America to its
knees will quote 2 Chronicles 7:14. But the injunctions in this verse
are specifically addressed to those who have a relationship with God
and not to unbelievers. These words speak to the moral and spiritual
integrity of God’s people in the context of a broken and fallen world
desperately in need of deliverance and hope. These words were not
given as leverage for Christians to “beat up” on an unrighteous soci-
ety, but as a prescription for God’s people to experience renewal.
The words uttered by God in this pivotal verse are in the context
of the dedication of Solomon’s temple. The focus of the dedication
ceremony is fervent prayer, pleading for God’s blessing on the temple
and on His people. God then appears to Solomon in the evening and
assures him that He has heard his prayers and that He has chosen the
temple as a place of sacrifice and a place where He will dwell (2
Chron. 7:11-12). But God knows that His people will not always
remain faithful to Him, and that He will have to occasionally get their
attention by sending judgment. So He says in verse 13, “if I shut up
the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to
devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people.. .” In other
words, there may be times when our lives and homes are unraveling
so much that we will need to follow the prescription that He has out-
lined in verse 14:
[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray
and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.Again, the target of these words of correction and renewal is God’s
people. It is as if God says, “I am talking to you and not to the for-
eigners who are living in the country.”
Renewal in the Home 221