Daily Devotion 12 January 2026

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

READING: Matthew 5: 2-11

“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.  You will eat the fruit of your labour; blessings and prosperity will be yours.  Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.”  Psalm 128 : 1 – 2 + 4

Many people are unaware of the immeasurable generosity of God, if only they would obey Him and turn to Him and turn away from evil and selfish ways, from corruption, violence, and deliberate disobedience.

Scripture reveals to us that God is more willing to give than we are to receive.  If we would only pray and believe sincerely and turn back to Him admitting where we have gone wrong, then we will receive the healing for which we  are praying.

“The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished.”  Nahum 1 : 3a.  Nahum the prophet was prophesizing against Nineveh, whose people had turned away from God.  Later Nahum says “The Lord is good, a refuge in trouble.  He cares for those who trust Him.” Vs 7.

In Matthew 29, Jesus is asleep in the boat when He and His disciples are hit by a storm and He stands up and commands the storm to stop.  The disciples’ reaction was “What kind of man is this?  Even the winds and the waves obey Him!” Vs. 27

I have been made aware of the 2 Chronicle 7 : 14 reading and I believe strongly that our Lord is calling all His people to repent for all the evil that is everywhere in our beloved South Africa.  BUT He promises that if we do repent, He will forgive us our sins and will HEAL OUR LAND.

Through all these passages we find a God who does not tolerate our evil ways, yet if we obey Him and ask for forgiveness, He shows us His power and His love and His forgiveness.

Prayer

Almighty, all loving God, we repent of all the times we have turned away from You and not obeyed Your will for us, where we have gone our own selfish and corrupt ways, Lord forgive us.

For all the times we have not shared Your love with our neighbours and not loved them as ourselves.  Lord forgive us.

May the God of all healing and forgiveness draw us to Himself and cleanse us from all our sins and heal our land, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen