Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locus to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 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 heal their land. I will listen to every prayer made in this place." -2 Chronicles 7:12-15
How amazing is it that God hears our EVERY prayer, forgives our sins, and heals our land. This scripture is right after Solomon obeyed God by building the temple. I also love God's mercy, notice he says "when i shut up the heavens so that there is no rain," when. He knows he will at some point He will be withholding rain from Israel. You may ask, why would God withhold rain? This is best answered with another rich scripture.
"I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me, declares the Lord. I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither; so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me, declares the Lord." -Amos 4: 6-8
Yet you did not return to me. God is trying to get their attention, Amos is prophesying regarding Israel's disobedience, rejection of God's law, greed, and their abuse of the poor. So God takes away their wealth their comfort, and livelihood to get their attention. Let me clear, God wants our attention not just our belief. He wants to spend time with us and be a part of our lives, as he gives us breath he wants us to talk with Him and listen to Him.
-=What does this mean for our worship=-
Satisfied.
Note that when they wondered from town to town, they were not satisfied. Only God can give living water, and is the only pure and true satisfaction we can gain. Like Jesus talking to the women at the well, we only need to ask and he will give us living water. Seek His face, return to Him constantly. By His grace and mercy He heals our land, listens to our prayers.
These scriptures are from the old testament where the temple was a physical place. We know now that His temple of the Holy Spirit is in our hearts. Substitute that physical temple and God is saying, I have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. He chooses us as vessels of the Holy Spirit, and we become a living sacrifice. We are called by His name. Woah. Talk about healing our land.
