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Consecrated Temple

This morning in our worship service, there was a very real, very palpable drawing of the Holy Spirit to come back to our first love.  A wooing, if you will, to return to the One Who loved us first.  A call was given to lay down the idolatry in our lives, casting down and putting away those things that we have made a priority over our relationship with The Living God.  Dethrone Flesh and let God be God of our lives.  At the end of the altar service, our Pastor, by Divine order, read 2 Chronicles 7:14. 

Before citing the scripture, let me first set the stage for you.  Solomon, the son of King David, has completed the building of the temple.  If you know the story of David, you remember David had a heart to build a temple for the Lord; however, it was God's plan for Solomon to build the temple as David's time was one of war.  Solomon would reign in peace and the Lord would "establish his throne forever."  (1 Chronicles 17)  In the 7th Chapter of 2 Chronicles (NIV), the temple has been completed and dedicated and now, in the night, the Lord appears to Solomon.  I urge you to really read this verse.  Often times, we hurriedly skim through familiar verses without letting the words sink into our hearts.  In doing so, we can miss the meaning entirely.  In verse 14, the Lord says:
"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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
As my Pastor spoke, my eyes fell to the two verses following this one.  Though I have read them before, I never saw them quite like I did this morning.  Verses 15 and 16 (NIV) are recorded as such:
"Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.  I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever.  My eyes and my heart will always be there."
Ponder this.  We are living temples where the Lord abides.  He has chosen us, consecrated us and, therefore, we bear His name.  So, if we humble ourselves, repent, turn from our unrighteousness, our sins, the Lord, through this scripture, promises His eyes will be open and His ears will be attentive to our prayers.  He will ALWAYS be there.  Always. Forever. 

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.  You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God."

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