1Ki 8:37 | KingComments | STEP | Here disease and hunger strike the land ( ; ). Sin is not mentioned directly. Hunger is the result of plagues and enemies that come upon the people because of the plagues of the hearts of each of the members of God’s people. They pray to God to ask why He makes these plagues come. The plagues are instruments that God uses to discipline His people. They become the reason for self-examination of every member and it will lead to the discovery that life is not as God wishes. This has nothing to do with whether there are concrete sins, but that there is slowness in serving God. We cannot deceive ourselves when we are in God’s presence. God will forgive if everyone recognizes the condition of his heart, for only He knows the heart. We often judge our brother as if we know exactly his heart. When self-examination is done – and that is God’s goal by sending hunger – what is in our hearts comes to light. It is about each one searching his own heart and not seeking the solution in all that another has done or could have done. If everyone says this in sincerity, there will be blessing again. This is a case of personal unfaithfulness. If we see that, the reason for this is often the incorrect setting of our priorities. We then run to our own houses, abandoning the house of God ( ). We must confess this and give God’s house again the first place. God will then give blessing again.

‏ 1 Kings 8:37

Fourth Prayer

Here disease and hunger strike the land (Lev 26:19 ; 25; Deu 28:22-23 ; 38). Sin is not mentioned directly. Hunger is the result of plagues and enemies that come upon the people because of the plagues of the hearts of each of the members of God’s people. They pray to God to ask why He makes these plagues come. The plagues are instruments that God uses to discipline His people. They become the reason for self-examination of every member and it will lead to the discovery that life is not as God wishes. This has nothing to do with whether there are concrete sins, but that there is slowness in serving God.

We cannot deceive ourselves when we are in God’s presence. God will forgive if everyone recognizes the condition of his heart, for only He knows the heart. We often judge our brother as if we know exactly his heart. When self-examination is done – and that is God’s goal by sending hunger – what is in our hearts comes to light. It is about each one searching his own heart and not seeking the solution in all that another has done or could have done. If everyone says this in sincerity, there will be blessing again.

This is a case of personal unfaithfulness. If we see that, the reason for this is often the incorrect setting of our priorities. We then run to our own houses, abandoning the house of God (Hag 1:9b). We must confess this and give God’s house again the first place. God will then give blessing again.