If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. — 2 Chronicles 7:14
Most everyone that will read this text would agree that the United States is in a mess. Each and every way we look, we see wickedness due to rampant sin in our society. We often talk about the various changes in our nation that have led to this decline spiritually.
Many will say it’s the fault of churches for failing to do their part to stand against sin and preach the truth. There is perhaps some truth to that, but it’s not the ultimate cause of our decline. Others will argue that it is because we took prayer and the Bible out of our schools. That certainly is a contributing factor as well, but is not the entire cause.
The spiritual decline of America is not because of major societal issues such as these. It actually starts in the hearts of the people. We see that here in 2 Chronicles where God made a promise that if the “people” were to pray and seek God, leaving their sins behind, He would hear them, forgive them, and heal their nation.
This is not something that starts with the President or any elected leader. This is a movement in the hearts of the people where they get serious about God and they desire a serious relationship with Him. The descriptions of “humble” and “seeking” here describe the earnest pleas of the people. This is not describing a casual act, but rather someone that realizes that they are at the end of their rope, pleading for someone to intervene in the situation.
Unless we get serious as a people about our relationships with God, the spiritual and moral decline of our nation will continue. The solution to the problem lies with us and our relationship with God.