Did you enjoy studying the lives of King David and King Solomon? I sure did. Now we are going to hop, skip, and jump through some of the other kings. We will start with Asa, King of Judah.
Asa was a good king (in the beginning), and his country enjoyed a time of peace because Asa worked to please God. He recognized that victory would come to Judah because of God's power. "Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. O LORD, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you."" (2 Chronicles 14:11) Did you notice the last word? Asa understood that the battle was God's. When I face a battle, do I pray like this? Do I ask God to use His power to save me? Do I realize that He wants to take my place in the battle? There is a big difference between asking God to give me strength in times of trial versus asking God to be my substitute in the trial. Hmmm. What are your thoughts here?
1 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 7 But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." 8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. (2 Chronicles 15:1-2, 7-8a) I am so thankful for the Azariahs in my life, the people who listen to the Spirit and speak the Word of God to me when I need encouragement to stay the course. Who can I encourage today? Have I listened to God's voice closely enough to hear a Word to share?
Do you remember our study of 1 Kings 11? God was angry with Solomon because he had turned away from Him. God promised He would divide Solomon's kingdom. 2 Chronicles 15:9 shows the results of the division. Asa was king over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and some of the people from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon had come over to his side as well.
The remainder of 2 Chronicles 15 showcases Asa's glory years. He led the people to enter a covenant to seek the LORD. "They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them." (vs. 14) King Asa even had the gall to depose his grandmother because of her idol worship. Now that is one gutsy guy! Do any of you want to mess with your grandma?
Chapter 16 introduces us to Baasha king of Israel. I knew Israel was a divided kingdom, but never before in my study had I realized that Israel and Judah actually fought against one another. That's what I love about studying the Bible. I notice different things each time I read its truth. God is such a detail Man!
Wow! What happened between year 35 and year 36 for King Asa? He trusted and sought after God's wisdom for 35 years. Did he just suddenly choose to seek help from other armies? Probably not. If you listen to K-Love radio, you have heard the song Slow Fade by Casting Crowns. Our journey away from God does not happen in a day. It happens as a result of daily choices we make. Just like I was disappointed in Solomon in 1 Kings 11, I was disappointed that Asa did not stay true to his faith in the One True God. My expectation of godly people is that they will become more and more godly as they grow older. Sadly, this is not the case. Just because I seek God wholeheartedly today does not guarantee that I will seek Him when I am old and gray. It is so much easier to get out of the habit of worshiping God than it is to maintain the discipline. Being a God-follower is a daily choice I make. I can make the choice today, but if I do not make the choice again tomorrow and the next day, then I will wander farther and farther from God's wisdom. I think that's what happened to Asa. He enjoyed peace for so long that he forgot what it was like to chase after God. He became so comfortable in his palace that he forgot it was God who placed him there. He stopped praying to ask God to fight his battles. Instead he paid off a neighboring pagan king to fight his battle. "Oh be careful little feet where you go."
"For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (2 Chronicles 16:9a) God, keep me fully committed to You!
When I read the portion about Azariah, it immediately brought to memory a professor who was speaking on hearing the Spirit. He encouraged us to be on guard, especially when it comes to listening to other pastors and sermons, so that we do not replace the voice of God with the voice of man. I'm learning that it takes time to learn and discern the voice of the spirit, especially when you hear thousands of different voices on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteChris, I think that applies to what we read too. Sometimes we replace our daily Bible reading with daily Christian book reading. It's just not the same as hearing straight from God.
ReplyDeleteI kept thinking about what our country is facing right now- leadership that seeks God or leadership that seeks to worship others beside God. It is always amazing how over 2000 years ago and it still applies to today. That is what we are looking at right now with the upcoming elections. Are we going to have a leader who is seeking God? I hope so, I pray for such. But our reality is that our country is continuously overlooking God and turning to other idols just as Asa ended up doing. Instead of keeping his focus on God, he made the choice to go towards others. Some of you know the deep depression pit I had been in for several months and I'm happy to report that I have begun my journey climbing out of it because of God! But one of the things I came to realize during this time was how much I wasn't looking to God, but to other people to help me. I believe God brought me to this pit to learn that He is my source of life, my source of happiness, my source of everything. Why I couldn't learn that without going through what I've been through the last couple months, I do not know, but even as dark as it has been for me, it has also been very enlightening and I pray I have learned my lesson and DON'T forget it. We all need to look to God for every inch of our being, every part of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And not forget that it's GOD who brings us to every point in our lives. God means for every trial, tribulation, test for our good, not to harm us. Do we look at it in that way or do we get lost in the "poor me" side of if? Thank you, Father, for your reminders of how much you love me and that you are all I need. Help me to remember that it is ALL about YOU and nothing else! Amen!!
ReplyDeleteIt was so great to see you and your family this weekend, Dana. But it made me realize how much I miss you all. Even though I know you are were God wants you to be, I wish you could be here too. I know God is blessing the socks off of people in Comanche, cuz we were able to have that blessing for 7 years here. Thank you for being such Jesus freaks. It inspires me to be a Jesus freak too! Love ya!
A comment sent to me via email this week:
ReplyDeleteExodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you ; you need only to be still. Moses was talking to the children of Israel just another example of God taking our place in a trial. I have clung to this verse lately.
Nancy
Melissa, I love being the Jesus freak in your life! Thanks for allowing me to come along for the ride. You know, I often wanted to take your place and learn the lesson for you, but God makes us go through the stuff so we can learn the lesson He has for us. When the hard times come, and they always do, begin praying immediately for God to show you the lesson in the circumstances so you can learn it quickly, move on, and never have to come back to that particular trial.
ReplyDeleteI'm proud of all of you for pressing on toward the goal to win the prize, which is Christ Jesus!
Love ya,
Dana