Today’s readings are 2 Chronicles 15-16, 1 Kings 16, and Philemon.
This last week our kids have been playing a lot of hide and go seek. They may go months without playing, but then all of the sudden they get really into it again. I must say they are improving from a few years back when Hudson was about 2 and Reese was about 5, and I go upstairs after counting to find Hudson in the hallway pointing and saying, “Reesey’s in the closet!” I always know these days when I come home from work that they have been playing when my closet is in disarray and if I go in theirs and it is the same.
I couldn’t help but think of this when reading about King Asa in 2 Chronicles 15-16. King Asa was a descendant of David and the 3rd king of the southern kingdom of Judah after the divide of Israel my brother, Chad, gave us some background on Monday (https://www.biblejournal.net/2024/07/22/seeking-counselo/). While he is generally thought of a good king who was “wholly true to God” (2 Chronicles 15:17) and who worked to destroy the idols of Israel (2 Chronicles 15:8), even removing his mom from being queen mother for her idol worship, King Asa unfortunately made some mistakes later that did not please God.
First, despite the fact that Asa called on God to help him defeat the Ethiopians and Libyans, he did not call on God when there was a threat from Baasha, king of Israel. He instead took silver and gold from the temple and gave it to Ben-hadad, king of Syria, to try to help build an alliance with them for assistance. God understandably wasn’t too pleased that he both took riches from His temple, as well as turned to another earthly king for help instead of Him. Not only did he make some mistakes in anger after being called out on his folly, but the final mistake Asa made in his last days was that after becoming sick and diseased in his feet, he still turned only to physicians and not to the Lord for healing.
Asa, although a godly man, stopped seeking the Lord and he didn’t finish well. So, my question to myself is, am I seeking the Lord in everything and always? Are my “closets” in disarray because I’m so diligently and actively seeking Him? Or am I just hiding…or maybe seeking other things instead of Him?
The good news is that God knew even good people who love Him would make mistakes, and He sent us Jesus to die on the cross to forgive us. And also we are told here in this same chapter…
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth, to give strong support for those whose heart is blameless toward Him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9a
Whether or not we are seeking Him, He’s always seeking us and ready…even when we don’t realize it. And when we learn from Asa’s mistakes and seek Him, we have His strong support. What an awesome thing to find strength, hope, and peace in.
Let us all say today, “Ready or not Lord…here I come!”
