Complete Reliance
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars” - 2 Chronicles 16:9
OBSERVATION
Many are familiar with the first part of this verse about God looking around the whole earth looking for opportunities to strengthen people who trust him. Yet we neglect the context of Asa acting foolishly by not trusting God. Under King Asa’s leadership, the southern kingdom of Judah experienced spiritual renewal and religious reforms. He reigned for 41 years and started really well by courageously removing the idols in the land, repairing the altar of the Lord and leading a national revival back to God. As a result many from Israel recognized God’s hand on Asa and moved to Judah (2 Chron. 15:9) and God himself gave rest and peace to Judah from their enemies (2 Chron 15:15). But he fell to the statistic of leaders in the bible who started well but finished poorly. Asa on the 36th year of his reign succumbed to making alliance with King Aram instead of continuing his alliance (reliance) with God. When King Baasha invaded Judah, Asa panicked took silver and gold from God’s temple and gave it to the King Ben-hadad. He went from reliance on God to defiance to God (taking gold belonging to God’s temple). He broke reliance with King of Kings in order to make alliance with the king of Syria.
APPLICATION
Points of Obedience:
- Strive for faithfulness to the end and finishing well: Don’t get caught up with the hype of immediate results and instant gratification. Run with endurance—it’s a marathon not a sprint. Have “well done good and faithful servant” my end game.
- Keep in step with spirit: Trust God in every step, moment-by-moment. Full reliance in the beginning, middle and the end.
- God is not mocked: There are real consequences to disobedience. God’s word to King Asa through the prophet Azariah was “The LORD will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek Him, you will find Him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you” (2 Chron. 15:2).
- Be quick to repent: Especially in the midst of brokenness and judgment, humble myself and repent. Learn from Asa: “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians” (2 Chron 16:12). Who knows? God could have relented and changed the narrative to Asa’s life but Asa did not seek the LORD but sought help from doctors.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
I love you so much! From beginning to the end, you are everything to me. It is definitely with fear and trembling that I’m working out my salvation. I don’t want to succumb to the the statistic of 70% of leaders in the bible who don’t finish well. Holy Spirit, I need you so much. Towards the end of my life, I don’t want to just limp or walk to the finish line but I want to run straight into your arms Jesus. Maranatha!
