2 Chronicles 31.21

In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful. [2 Chronicles 31.21]

Hezekiah's success was just a coincidence, right? That is not what the Bible indicates!

Hezekiah went to great lengths to help Judah and all Israel return to the LORD. He sought God "wholeheartedly" and God made him successful "as a result."

I know we don't want to acknowledge this as fact because it goes against all the doctrines or random suffering we have come to embrace to fondly. But we should be compelled by God's Word to see blessings and curses for what they are!

God blesses obedience and curses remain for anything else.

But what about those good people who suffer terrible diseases and such?

First off, what man is ever qualified to call any other man "good?" If the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17.9), then no man can know another man's heart or his own heart! ALL WE HAVE TO GO BY THEN IS THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF BLESSINGS AS DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE TO TRULY KNOW WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS EVIL.

One might justly argue, "Then if that's the case, we would be repenting all the time!"

Is repenting all the time such a bad thing? I can promise you this, if you repent all the time, you will not have so much tendency become proud and puffed up! Repentance is the sign of genuine humility. A truly humble person will repent often.

How do we get healing for our land?

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. [2 Chronicles 7.14]

Notice what the FIRST thing required in the verse above is: humility. And, what does the scripture indicate that humility leads to? Prayer, seeking God's face, and turning from wickedness (repentance!).

This is the formula for healing and restoration! If we are NOT healed and restored, there is but one path to take: humble ourselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from our wicked ways!

But what if we are not restored? Then we have not humbled ourselves and prayed and sought God's face and turned from our wicked ways! The scripture is not a lie! The human heart however, cannot be trusted. God's Word is true and it is always true. 

If we believe God's Word, then we must act upon it. 

If we refuse to act upon God's Word, then who are we kidding about faith and religion?

Father, the conditions of my life indicate that I must repent. My heart wants to ignore the obvious indicators of the presence of sin (sickness, disease, and material difficulties), but I don't trust my heart. I trust Your Word. Forgive me for pride and spiritual arrogance. Forgive me for greed. Forgive me for lust. Before the cross of Jesus, I repent and confess the wickedness of my heart. Come and prove Your Word by my life and through my life. Let me not bring shame to Your name and Your Word. I am not succeeding right now... and so I repent.