2 CHRONICLES 14-16 – ASA

Heart Issues
I really like how Asa dealt with the idols and Asherah poles, he destroyed them. He didn’t just say don’t worship them, he made it a non-option. He is an inspiration in his zeal for the Lord, but he ends up turning from the Lord. I pray that I may seek the Lord all the days of my life and be kept from any way that would defile the name of the Lord or my name for generations to come. I also love to see that God would speak to the king through prophets and I pray that God would continue to develop that gift in me to speak his words to the world. King Asa went as far to put to death those that did not follow the Lord, that is pretty hardcore and I am not sure how that reflects the Lord for that was not in His creating order to force people into loving and serving Him. I wonder if this was the beginning of the downfall of Asa or if the last story was the only way in which he fell. The questions I am dealing with now are: Do I trust God with the small things in the same way that I trust Him with the big deals in my life? Will I stay faithful no matter what and never turn my back on God? What will my name go down in the history books to mean?

Notes
-Asa began well. He did all that he was supposed to do initially and went further than his father did in seeking the Lord. He destroyed all of the rivaling gods and idols that the people worshipped.
-He knew that God was the deliverer and trusted him in battle against a vast army. V. 11 says do not let man prevail against you. I love that because Asa knew his identity as a follower and the people of God. He knew the promises of God and the glory of God, knowing that man did not stand a chance.
-In taking the plunder from a place there were always many gods in that town as well. They not only took the money and livestock, but they were tempted to begin to worship the gods of the Cushites. The prophet tells Asa of this and he again rids the people of the option of other gods.
-Sadly we remember Asa for his main failure at the end of his life although he trusted God throughout and made a profound impact on the people of Judah and their faith in God. Why is it sometimes easier to trust God with the big things but not be faithful in the small ones. He was using conventional wisdom here and not trusting in God to deliver.
-It ends with “even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord.” This strikes me big time because we all usually seek the Lord in our illness and times of pain. Pain is the one thing that rouses us to look for an answer. C.S. Lewis said that “pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”