Asa

[Read 1 Kings 15:9-24]

…the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days.

Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He removed the altars of foreign gods from his Kingdom and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.

Because Asa was loyal and faithful to the Lord his God, the kingdom had peace and was quiet many years.

In 2 Chronicles 14, we see that the faith of Asa was put to a severe test when Zerah the Ethiopian invaded his kingdom with a million men and 300 chariots. From every human viewpoint the large army from Egypt would sweep everything before it. But during the years of peace Asa had not given this time to amusement and pleasure; he had been preparing for any emergency. He had an army trained for conflict; he had endeavored to lead his people to make their peace with God. And now, although his forces were fewer in number than the enemy, his faith in the One whom he trusted did not weaken. Having sought the Lord in the days of peace and prosperity, the king could now rely upon Him in the day of adversity.

Asa’s prayer to God while facing this invading army shows the trust that he had in God’s power. “It is nothing for you to help,” he pleaded, “whether with many, or with those who have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You.”

The prayer of Asa is one that every Christian believer may offer. We fight in a warfare, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. See Ephesians 6:12. In life's conflict we are met with overwhelming challenges and disappointments that in our own power we are helpless to solve. Our hope is not in man, but in the living God. When we meet the day dressed with the armor of His righteousness, we may gain the victory over every foe. 

Elder Paul Kenyon
Sturgeon Bay Seventh Day Adventist





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Noah

Image
[Read Genesis 6:8, 22; 1 Peter 3:20; Hebrews 11:7 ] By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. Here on the island, we know the importance of finding safe passage through the waters. And we’re pretty blessed to have the ferry providing year-round service across the “Door.” It truly is our lifeline. If you’ve been on one, you know their boats are unique. They’re not cruise ships or fishing boats. Each is specifically designed to safely take vehicles, humans, and cargo to and from the mainland. For Advent this year, as we look forward to Jesus’ Second Coming, we’re remembering Jesus’ ancestors. It turns out that one of his distant relatives also ran a ferry boat. His name was Noah and God told him to build a boat, or Ark. Its purpose? To carry people and animals to safety from a catastrophic flood (see Genesis 6:9-8:22). This must have seemed pretty random for Noah. Yet, with no evidence
Read more

Josiah

Image
[Read 2 Chronicles 35:1-3 ]  Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. It was a scene that could have happened in Imperial Rome, a king assassinated by close advisors, his young son thrust onto the throne. Such was the story of Josiah, son of Amon, King of Judah, the last remaining lands of the once great Davidic Kingdom. The nation was a mess. Solomon's Temple was in a state of disrepair, and the people were divided, worshipping false gods. The king started small, directing that Temple funds be used to repair the building. It was in that process that a long-lost scroll of the Law was “discovered.” Today, scholars believe that scroll was Deuteronomy, and while this seems a minor incident in the scope of the Hebrew story, it set off a national and theological reform with consequences to this day, responsible for historical books that tell us the story of that people, influencing the Prophet Jeremiah. Josiah consulted the great proph
Read more

Methuselah

Image
[Read Genesis 5:27 ] Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died. Often people lament that life is too short. Even when blessed with a relatively long life, people feel it isn’t enough time. In Genesis we read of Methuselah. He bore a son at the age of 187 years, and he lived another 782 years; this is a total of 969 years. He died in the year of the flood. As noted in Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, even the “longest liver must die at last.” Methuselah’s life might remind us that such a passing has long been considered a relief from struggle. Methuselah’s grandson is named Noah to signify rest, and his father complained of the “calamitous state of human life… Our whole life is spent in labor, and our time is filled up with continual toil.” How true this is! We sometimes forget that no matter how good life is, it seems that it always includes struggles. They may be because of loved ones, or addictions, or poor choices, or politics of the day, but often it seems life
Read more