1 Kings 8:47
“Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;”
Solomon had finished building the temple and he took time after it was finished to have a dedicatory prayer to God. During this prayer he asked God to hear the prayer of His people whenever they prayed to Him in the temple. Solomon also asked that if they sinned against God and are taken captive, that “if they shall bethink themselves” in their captivity and call on Him, he asked that their prayer be heard.
The word “bethink” means to think on reflection. In other words, if the people were to think about their condition and reflect upon what their sin caused. Solomon was asking God to hear their prayer if they did this. Certainly, there must come repentance before God would hear, as seen in the verse above, but the first step was to bethink themselves.
We live in troubled times when people have done that which is right in their own eyes. This has resulted in sin running rampant throughout our nation. It has resulted in young people not wanting anything to do with church. It has resulted in Christian liberties slowly being taken away from God’s people. It has resulted in God’s judgment upon our nation. The only hope that we have is for God’s people to bethink themselves.
Preacher, bethink yourself and look at what a little compromising has done to our nation. Letting up a little to gain bigger crowds has done nothing but move us further away from God. Preachers ought not to be worried about getting the large crowds, but they should be concerned with pleasing a holy God. I ask you preacher, have you bethought yourself and seen some things that you need to correct.
Christian, bethink yourself and look at how backing off from the LORD has caused the heartache in your life, career and family. It was not God’s way that caused you the heartache, but it was sin that caused the heartache. All you have to do is bethink yourself and you will see where the changes started happening. When you start bethinking yourself, the Holy Spirit will show you what led you into your condition.
If you are going to bethink yourself, you must look at yourself honestly. Friend, stop trying to blame others and look honestly at your own actions. Bethinking yourself won't help you if you are not honest with yourself. Continually lying to yourself will only keep you in your current condition. I challenge you to honestly bethink yourself. Take an honest look at yourself and reflect upon the actions that have led to where you are.
Moreover, repentance is in order when you see what has caused your condition. Bethinking yourself does you no good if you are not going to do something about it. I challenge you to take an honest look at yourself today and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any action that needs to be changed. Once the Holy Spirit reveals that action, I challenge you to take the right action so that you can receive God’s blessings on your life again.