Then I will Hear

Then I will Hear 
Heard on High
Terry R. Baughman

“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). 

Often when we pray we may feel that we speak in vain and the sound of our voice bounces off of empty walls and a solid ceiling. We try to believe that God hears us but our faith is low and we are unsure of God’s attention. It is then that the Word of God offers us the assurance of all we need to know; that our voice is being heard and God is not far from us. Our prayers are touching heaven and His answer will come.

In the context of the verse above, Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and completed its grand dedication. God confirmed His pleasure with His presence as, “the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house” (2 Chronicles 7:1–2). This confirmation of God’s presence was evident to all the people who gathered for this occasion. It was a sign to all that God was among His people and had blessed the efforts of their leadership to provide a central place of worship for all the nation. The people bowed down, “worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: ‘For He is good, For His mercy endures forever’” (2 Chronicles 7:3).

Some time after this dedication the Lord appeared to Solomon and revealed some of the consequences of disobedience. Though God was real and present with them He cautioned them about things to come. When they ignored God and failed to follow after Him; when they embraced the pagan practices of religion from surrounding nations; or when they abandoned the covenant with God they could expect judgment on their nation. That did not indicate hopelessness or despair rather an opportunity to repent and turn back to God. He said, “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 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 7:13–14).

We have seen times of intense drought, swarming pests, raging forest fires, the pandemic of a coronavirus and many other calamities in recent times. Does this suggest the judgment of God is being revealed against people who have abandoned faith and embraced the profane? It certainly seems like a similar response to what God exacted against Israel following the days of Solomon. We have no reason to expect that God would not respond to our prayer in the same way He promised to respond to a repentant people in this text. When people humble themselves in repentance, seeking the face of God, we have the promise of an answer from heaven, forgiveness for our sins, and healing for our land. God said, “I will hear from heaven!”

Through times of tremendous adversity, it is well to recall the promise of God to hear us. We may find great consolation in the fact that God is listening even when we don’t feel His presence or see the work of His hand. He still hears us. 

Pray with confidence. Pray with care, because He really is tuned in to our conversation with Him. When we begin to see answers to our prayers, our faith will soar and we will proclaim the greatness of our God. So let us begin now, before the answer arrives, praising Him for hearing us and for the answers that He is preparing.

He will hear us!
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Theme passage:
“We know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:15).

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