God will heal land, forgive sin when people pray to God

Q: Is there hope for our nation — and world — for a better tomorrow and if so who should we turn to in order to find the solution our problems?

— B.T.

A: Political parties, social improvements, education, world peace conferences — all of these are viewed as answers to the world’s problems, but they have all fallen short.

Why? Because mankind has fallen short of God’s standard. We have fallen short to do his will. To live in obedience to his Word as communicated in the Bible we are told: “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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

This verse has been quoted so much that many miss its meaning. God’s people are those who have repented of sin and accepted him as savior and lord of their lives.

A U.S. congressman once declared, “Most of our present-day troubles are due to the fact that we’ve forgotten the faith of our fathers and no longer do we, as a nation, follow in the footsteps of the Lord.”

The psalmist cried out and said, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the lord” (Psalm 33:12). This applies to the United States and any other nation who will turn to the lord God of Heaven.

Who can bring us to our knees in contrition? It is the Man called the lord Jesus Christ. Will we as individuals humble ourselves before him? This is the only hope for America and for the world.

This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.