Our Response to God's Beautiful Plan---Day 186 Through the Bible

                     This beautiful pastoral scene of a Pennsylvania farm gives us a preview of what it will look like
            for God to "heal our land".  Not every one today is able to live in surroundings as peaceful and serene as these.


God orchestrates things to coordinate with His holy calendar.  We see in 2 Chronicles 7:8, the celebration of the completion of the temple along with the observance of the Feast of Tabernacles.  Also, the 8th day of the Feast, which is a separate holy day is often overlooked as it occurs after the 7 day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. (Leviticus 23:34). See also John 7:37, where this 8th day is referred to as "in the last day, that great day of the feast". Leviticus 27:2, is only one of at least four scriptures where God says, "These are My feasts". Jesus died on Passover which begins the feast days for the year and also was the beginning of God's plan of salvation and restoration.  The Holy Spirit was given on the Feast of Pentecost (also called First Fruits).  The other feasts portray the completion of God's plan and are very interesting to study. Zechariah 14:16-20, tells us the Feast of Tabernacles will observed during the Millennium. When we read about these feast days, we need to consider that they belong to the Lord, have meaning and rehearse God's plan annually so that it is not forgotten.

We also notice the back and forth responses in today's reading between God and Solomon.  Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple and God responded with fire from heaven.  Beginning in verse 12, God tells Solomon what the people should do if He shuts up the heavens, sends locusts or pestilence among His people--in response to their disobedience. "If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways (repentance), then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).  God is waiting to respond to us. He always upholds His part of the relationship. If it fails, we need look no farther than ourselves--it will fail due to a lack of interest on God's part!

We desperately need the restoration that can only come from God.  In Psalm 80:3, the Psalmist cries out, "Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved".  In Acts 13: 39, we read of the only way we can be delivered from sin that separates us from God and be restored. "And by Him every one who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses."  Paul and Barnabas encouraged their listeners to "continue in the grace of God" (verse 43), as should we.