This morning I read a story about a king from Judah named Asa. Asa was the first good king in a long line of evil kings. What set Asa apart from his fathers was that he “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD,” and he “…expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made.”
His story is recorded here and here.
Asa was not perfect though, and at a critical moment, he made an unwise decision.
The king of Israel, Baasha, was attacking Asa’s kingdom. So, Asa sent to the king of Aram for help…which he received.
This decision, however, was not the right one.
God sends a prophet to tell Asa:
“Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” [2 Chronicles 16.7-9 TNIV]
I found these words challenging and convicting. How many times do I place my trust in people, and refuse to trust in the Lord? How many times do I panic and scramble in an attempt to fix something now, instead of waiting patiently for God to give me direction?
Don’t get me wrong. We need people in our lives to provide council, wisdom, accountability, and encouragement. We were created to be in community…not living on our own. But people can not take the place of God. They can not rescue or deliver us.
Is it possible, when the odds are against us, that we can lose sight of whom we are ultimately supposed to trust in and rely on?
What are the consequences that we face when that happens?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
josh
Josh Scott 