Now I've heard this said numerous times, but you know how sometimes you have to hear it one more time for it to stick? I think this is that time. The Bible does say also that God prepares us and He gives us the understanding when we are ready for it; I'm guessing this is that time.
The story of all the kings of Israel are told in the books of Kings and the books of Chronicles, so you get some repetition. The thing about repetition is that we have a tendency to close our minds to things because we say, "Oh I already read/heard/saw this so I'm good."
The thing about repetition, though, is that it is the mother of skill. Through it we learn new things and turn them into something much greater! Playing piano, acting, drawing, working, etc..., all those things require repetition in order to master them. But I digress...
Okay, so God told the kings of Israel and Judah to first seek Him with all their heart, soul, and mind, and He would prosper them. The most notable kings who were blessed were David and Solomon, and after Solomon came his son Rehoboam. Rehoboam was 50/50 with God - he turned away and then turned back to Him. Once he passed on his son Asa took over as king of Judah. (Israel had a different king- they are two different nations).
Asa followed the Lord's will and brought the people back to Him. Asa also destroyed the idols and false gods from previous kings. Because his faith was strong, the Lord delivered him from multiple armies who far outnumbered Judah.
However, after things had been good and peaceful for a long time, Israel began to shore up some of the cities that bordered Judah - essentially cutting Judah off from the world. So Asa sends some presents to another king and says, "Hey man, let's go defeat Israel and stop this." So they do just that, and Asa takes all the supplies Israel was using and fortifies some of his own cities.
Okay, Adrienne, so what's the point here? This sounds pretty standard; making treaties and joining forces with someone else to defeat your enemies.
That's the problem right there. Asa turned to another human being to assist him instead of turning to God who had delivered him over and over again!
Say what? But he got what he needed! He stopped Israel!
Well yeah. But that's not what it's about. It's about having more faith in God and His will for your life than the enemy who outnumbers you.
So check this out. A seer comes to King Asa and says, "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on The Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on The Lord, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of The Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you shall surely have wars." (2 Chron 16:7-9)
Asa gets upset, chucks the guy in jail and then starts oppressing the people too. Gets his panties in a fine twist! A short time later he falls ill, but instead of seeking the Lord for healing he seeks out help from physicians only. He suffers for about two years before passing on. (2 Chron 16:10-13)
I know what you're thinking: that sounds like a pretty extreme way to make a point! And you're right, it is extreme. But sometimes it needs to be big and ugly and in your face in order for you to get with the program. Like when your parents would say to you, "don't touch that it will burn you," and you'd keep reaching out until you finally touched it, only to burn the heck out of your finger! You learned pretty quickly after that not to touch hot things!
Listen, I don't know about everything. I certainly don't know everything about life! But as time goes on I have learned this much (even though I still get tripped up): when we try to do it for ourselves it rarely turns out how we want/hope/expect. And sometimes we get it right away only to have it bite us in the butt!
Instead of getting it my way, I'm going to let it be His way.
I asked for a revelation last night and this morning and this is it. Giving every decision and every question of my heart over to God is the way I want to be living my life, and it's going to be the main focus for me this month. Not leaning on the understanding of man, but turning to the wisdom of the One who knows the plans He has for me- to prosper me and to plant me in the place He has chosen.
