2 Chronicles 6:36 “If (the people Israel) sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near; 37 then if they come to their senses in the land to which they have been taken captive, and repent, and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, and have done wrong; we have acted wickedly’; 38 if they repent with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity, to which they were taken captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their ancestors, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I (King Solomon) have built for your name, 39 then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. 40 Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayer from this place.
King Solomon, the son of King David, had the privilege of overseeing the construction of the original temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. The passage above is part of a prayer he spoke at the dedication of the temple which was finally complete after years of building. A key function of the temple was to serve as a place for people to bring various sacrifices, especially sacrifices of atonement for the forgiveness of sins.
If you read the entire chapter it’s obvious Solomon expects God’s people to go astray in various ways. Unfortunately this is my story too. And yours. Though we are Christians, our propensity for sin never completely goes away in this life. This morning I’m praying about this, asking the Lord to reveal the places in me that are out of alignment with God’s will and purposes. The list of my sins is long, which is why I’m so grateful for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for me and you.
Lord Jesus, without your grace and mercy I would have no hope today. My sins are too many. But, thanks be to God, your death and resurrection paid the price to atone for the sins of many, including me. It’s with a grateful heart I lift this prayer to you this morning. Amen.
Fuel for the journey 
Dear Pastor Ernie, so beautifully said and true for me too.
We humans are an imperfect bunch, but we are the most “advanced” of God’s numerous creations. I am so glad that we KNOW God as the One and Only supreme being! I cannot imagine praying to the moon or a big tree or tall mountain or richest person in the world, or greatest athlete in the news.
My images of our Lord Jesus seem to change. But I think it is still helpful for me to visualize him as a bridge between God and humans/me. I think God was clever to become a human, so we could understand him better. Or do we? Studying Jesus journey here on earth in the Bible, was what sold me on him, as my Savior and Lord. I believe the Bible is the most important book one can ever possess and absorb and have lots of versions of.
Thanks, Pastor Ernie, for this blog.
🙂 Marcie