Heal Archives - Pastor Terry Lema's Daily Devotions

I remember what fun I used to have with the neighborhood children when I was a child. We would all gather outside after dinner and before bed. We would ride bikes, play games, jump in the autumn leaves. One of the favorite things to do was “hide & seek.” When it was our turn to be “it,” we would hide our faces and count to 50 or 100. Then open our eyes and yell “Ready or not, here I come!”

Then “it” would search for those who were hidden, sometimes finding everyone, other times there was that one kid that was never found. He always had the best hiding place. No one ever got him, look though we might. Finally, “it” would give up and declare that kid the winner. It was so much fun to be the one that was never found!

As I read Psalm 86 the other day, verse 5, reminded me of those times of “hide & seek.” “For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, rich in faithful love to all who call on You.” [HCSB]

That verse reminded me that our God is never the one looking to remain hidden. When we yell, “ready or not, here I come,” our God yells back, “I am ready, here I AM!”

Then he opens His loving arms wide as we race to Him. So often the choices I make in life in my attitudes, words, and actions, drive me to seek my God for healing and forgiveness. And He is always ready and waiting in those green pastures to forgive.

What a wonderful promise to rest in today. That even in our failures, our God is ready to welcome us into His loving arms. Ready to provide the forgiveness and healing we need. Ready to love us and remind us we are His children.

“Ready or not, here I come …!”

2 Chronicles 7:13-14: “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.” [NKJV]

Many Christians leaders are calling for a day of fasting and prayer tomorrow, March 29. They are also asking Christians to stop at 7:14 PM every night during this crisis and pray 1 Chronicles 7:14. That certainly seems a prophetic word since we are in the midst of a “pestilence” in our land.

We can’t gather in our buildings in most places across this nation. We are to self-isolate to prevent the spread of this COVID-19 pestilence. But I have learned over the years that there is no time nor distance in the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer.

So, let’s join the world and set a timer on our phones, watches, Kindles or whatever to remind us to stop what we are doing at 7:14 PM and pray and repent and humble ourselves before the LORD our God Almighty.

The United States is a great nation, one of the greatest in history. Our people have invented more, done more, that we probably even realize.

Still, there is much for which we need to repent. We are a divided nation under the control of greed and covetousness. We are a nation that sheds the blood of innocents every day. We are a nation that often disregards the poor and the marginal of our society. We spew hate from our media and social media. Many of our churches have become bastions of complacency and heresy.

God promised, however, that if we seek His face, if we turn from our wicked ways, He will hear and forgive and heal our land. 7:14 PM Prayer. Amen.

Heal

Ready or Not, Here I Come …

7:14 PM Prayer