He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6.

Last night in prayer I asked God whether the man from Hamas who was seen on video killing civilian men and women at a music festival in Israel, worshiped Him or a distorted belief in Him or a different god altogether. I honestly don’t know. I know the God I love has already forgiven him and died on the cross for him. I know one day that man will stand before Almighty Creator God and when he looks into the eyes of our Lord he will not see hate.

In our chapter, 2 Chronicles 30, the king, Hezekiah, has written to all of Israel and Judah asking them to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover which hadn’t been celebrated in the way they would celebrate it in over 200 years. Israel had already been taken captive by the Assyrians and most of their people had been taken away to other lands. Many came. And Hezekiah’s prayer? May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets their heart on seeking God – the Lord, the God of their ancestors – even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary. And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. v. 18-20.

Why be humble? Because we are not God.

There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place. v. 26-27.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1.

We are God’s people. One day the sorrows of this world will be no more. I can’t bring that about. Only God is able. He alone can bring good out of the awful mess we create. Our first hope is to realize we are not God. Then we can turn to Him. He will lift us up in due time. Humble yourselves now and wait with Him and see the good He will bring.