We read in these verses a promise from God to the people of Israel. If the land has no rain or if it is covered with a disease or locust, then God promises that if the people cry out to him, telling the Lord that they are sorry for their sins, he will forgive them and he will heal the land.

What does this mean for us today? Does it mean that if are going through a hard time, and if we then humble ourselves before God, that he will then forgive us and take our troubles away?

No, it doesn’t mean that God will remove our troubles, even though this was the promise to the people in the Old Testament. But it does mean that God will forgive our sins.

If we look at the chapter before this one, we see the prayer that Solomon prays after he has built the temple for the Lord. This prayer shows how holy God is and how sinful his people are. The people’s sins kept getting in the way of them being able to have a loving relationship with the Lord. And so Solomon prays that when the people receive hardship from the Lord and then turn to him and repent from their sins, then God will forgive them.

The Holy of Holies in the temple showed that God is indeed a forgiving God and that he will forgive his people’s sins when they ask him to. And that is still our promise today too. The Lord Jesus has come and has forgiven our sins. The Holy of Holies is no longer needed for the sacrifices as Christ has been sacrificed on the cross.

So, our promise today is much greater than the promise of having our troubles removed when we acknowledge our sins. We have forgiveness in Jesus Christ. And we have a place in the new Jerusalem waiting for us. God has promised us eternal life with him on the new earth where there will never be any troubles again.

Reflection with your child:

What is the great promise that God gives to us?

Source: Meditation by Rev. R. Vermeulen