Lessons from King Asa

Text: 2 Chron. 16: 1-14
More Lessons: 2 Chron. 16: 9
Bible Reading in one Year: Revelation 7-9

Asa, a descendant of David, was a good king of the two-tribe kingdom of Judah. He sought God with a perfect heart (2 Chron 15:17-18) and destroyed all the images and high places of idol worship in his territory (2 Chron. 14: 2-3). When millions of Ethiopian soldiers came against his small army , he cried to God had divine intervention (2 Chron.14: 9-12). For the first thirty five years of his reign, the Lord subdued his enemies under him and he had peace and prosperity.

Then Baasha, king of the 10-tribe-northen-kingdom of Israel came against Judah; Asa had succeeded and prospered so much as king that by this time, he felt he knew how to handle any situation. Asa took gold and silver from the temple of God and sent it to the king of Syria so as to make Syria break his alliance with Israel and support Judah instead. And it worked, Ben-hadad of Syria turned from allying with the northern kingdom of Israel and attacked Israel instead. King Baasha of Israel quickly withdrew his troop from Judah. Asa was celebrating his victory when the Word of God came to rebuke him, Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him...: 2 Chron 16:8-9.

Many times when we are just starting out, we are so dependent on God for everything we do but as time goes on we become so self confident that we develop our own strategies for handling things, independent of God. Several worship leaders, teachers and preachers in the early days of their ministry would fast and pray each time they are to lead a song, preach or take a function because they feel insufficient and need God. But soon they begin to get results and become so good at doing these things that they could just come straight from any activity and go ahead and deliver wonderfully; they no longer cry to God to help them perform anymore. They knew and even the people around them knew that they could function anytime anywhere.

Then Asa had a disease in his feet; and as usual; he gathered for himself a team of competent medical doctors that he didn't see a reason to seek God for healing. It was a foot disease that killed Asa the great king. He got to a point where he thought he had grown so much that he could handle things on his own and didn't need the help of God anymore.

Prayer / Action
* Ask God for His presence always with you.
* Promise the Lord that you will not be too familiar with Him to do anything without His inspiration.
* Destroy every arrow of pride and false self-confidence in your life and ministry.
Purpose not to study the Bible, pray or wait on God only when you have an assignment.