Repentance for National Healing

“Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."

In the olden days, in the nation of Israel, an invasion of locust and drought had devastated the land. They considered this as a nationwide calamity. Indeed, nationwide or worldwide calamity is not new to mankind just as the present crisis brought about by the COVID-19. Nations, such as the Philippines, were greatly affected and devastated by the virus. It did not only caused the loss of businesses or livelihood, mental sanity, and peace at home but also the loss of love ones. Statistics show that more than two million deaths worldwide was caused by the COVID-19 virus since last year.
 
With the extensive and overbearing negative effects of the pandemic around the globe, it seems impossible to realize healing upon a nation. On the contrary, we still have hope in God. He told us that if we humble ourselves before Him, pray, and turn from our wicked ways, He will hear from heaven and heal our land. If we rely on this promise of God, healing is still possible regardless of the amount of destruction. This happened to the nation of Israel in the past. We can read in the Scriptures that they were instructed to rend their heart and not their garments, return to the Lord their God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. In response, the people of Israel repented of their sins and consequently, there was healing in their land.
 
Repentance therefor is the key to unlock supernatural favor and abundant blessings of God. It prevents any impending judgment upon a nation. One of the perfect examples is the land of Nineveh written in the Scriptures. The land was about to be judged because of widespread wickedness. However, the judgment was averted because the people heeded the call for repentance.
 
Learning from the above example, repentance should not remain as a mere emotion or feeling of remorse. It should be coupled with action. After coming to our senses that we have sinned, we should decide to go back to God and live a holy life. It is only then that we can experience full restoration. It is not a matter of thought. It is an attitude of the heart. It is how we respond to the conviction of God in our lives. It is how we admit our mistakes and act accordingly.
 
Repentance is personal but its lasting effect is national. We may come up with scientific inventions but it may not go so far. The problem that we are facing now has gone beyond the domain of health. We must practice repentance if we are to aim full and complete recovery. Vaccination can heal us physically but only genuine repentance can heal us as a nation. ​(CD, CRFV)