Don't Be An Asa

Photo by: Dennis Jarvis (archer10)

Asa was by and large a good king of Judah. He honored the Lord with his life and in how he led the people for the majority of his reign. He helped turn them away from idol worship and removed many false gods and the associated images and heathen behavior. At one point, he led the army of Judah and Benjamin against an army of a million men in which they were outnumbered two to one. Despite these overwhelming odds, he trusted in the Lord and asked Him to overcome their enemy. The result was a resounding victory.

A prophet came to Asa after this victory and said, "the Lord is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you." -2 Chronicles 15:2b Asa went on to lead Judah in following the Lord with resulting blessings for many years.

However, towards the end of his reign, Asa decided to go outside of God for assistance and do things in his own thinking, his own ability, and with the resources available to him. He ended up hiring a mercenary army to fight on his behalf. While this might have had a semblance of sense from a military and secular perspective, he did not seek out guidance from God or ask for His power to handle the situation. As a result, God withdrew his blessing from Asa and his final years were marked by war and illness.

There is wisdom and practical application that can be drawn from this passage. You may be very skilled at a particular task, profession, relationship, activity, social situation, or any number of different areas of life. In your own ability, you may be able to make things happen and advance your goals. However, if you try to do this without God's involvement or seeking his counsel, at some point, you'll either fail or fall far short of where you could have ended up.

By including Him in the process, He can open doors that otherwise would remain shut. He can create opportunities that would not be available to you. He can make a way in what would be an impossible situation. He can guide you away from making mistakes or aligning yourself with people who may mislead you or be a poor fit. He will allow you to do it without Him but more times than not, avoidable heartache and far less favorable outcomes will result.

As you go through life, don't follow the example of Asa in his latter years; pursue God's best and allow Him to provide for, bless, and lead you.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew