Lately, I have been reading a book titled “When Faith is Forbidden.” It was written by Todd Nettleton who is with Voice of the Martyrs. He spent forty days going to different countries where Christians have paid dearly for their faith. He interviewed those who had been in prison and had suffered so much. It was amazing how those people were praising God for His faithfulness in all they were going through.
In the Old Testament, we read about Asa, a prince, the son of Abijam, the king of Judah. Asa saw that his father struggled to give the Lord all of his heart. At times, he depended on the Lord, and at other times he did not. When he did, God blessed him. (2 Chronicles 13:6-18). At other times, Abijam did not wholeheartedly follow the Lord. He compromised and kept idols in the land. In time, God withheld His support, and Abijam’s reign was filled with terror. He was a double-minded man. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of us are that way.
Asa, after he observed his father’s struggles to be all out for God, launched his own reign as king with a wholehearted commitment to the Lord. He didn’t just rebuke those with idols, he tore down altars to foreign gods and destroyed their images. He challenged the people to worship and obey the Lord. When the enemy came against him, Asa turned the whole matter over to the Lord. God saw in Asa’s heart, one who longed to please Him, and He gave Asa a glorious and miraculous victory.
In 2 Chronicles 14:11-13 (NKJV) we read “And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, ‘Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or 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!” So, the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar. So, the Ethiopians were overthrown and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army; and, they carried away much spoil.
Folks, our God loves to help us be overcomers and gives us victory over the power of darkness and those who oppose us.
The Lord promised Asa that He would continue His supernatural support as long as he continued his wholehearted devotion to the Lord, and Asa did this. He destroyed idols, rebuilt altars, gave gifts, and made sacrifices. He also led his people to pledge their wholehearted devotion to the Lord. Thus, the Lord protected them. Here is God’s promise to them — 2 Chronicles 15:2 (NKJV) “… The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”
Folks, we can’t disobey God, and think He will not notice it. He knows whether we are really for Him or against Him. In 2 Chronicles 15:12-17, we read how the people entered into a covenant with the Lord. They experienced the Lord’s favor as long as they were faithful. For quite some time Asa was fully committed to the Lord, but the time came when he let his defense down and allowed outside pressure to cause him to drop his all-out commitment to the Lord. Asa and the people of Judah lived under constant military threat by Israel – instead of living wholeheartedly for the LORD. He came up with a plan. He would persuade the nation to the north of Israel, Aram, to attack Israel for him; hoping to draw their attention from Judah. So, Asa sent money to Aram, to attack Israel. The plot worked, BUT God was not pleased and He sent the following message to Asa. “And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa, King of Judah, and said to him: ‘Because you relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the King of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand.” 2 Chronicles 16:7-8
God told Asa that the small success of his scheme had actually cost him the opportunity to do away with his enemies once and for all. God also reminded Asa that as long as he had relied on the Lord, he had won great victories. Now the hand of God’s protection and peace would be removed. Judah would have to control both Israel and Aram. In 2 Chronicles 16:9-10 (NKJV) we read “For the eyes of the LORD run to and from throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore, from now on you shall have wars.”
What a lesson this is for us! Loyal hearts experience God’s peace, presence, and protection. Those whose hearts are not loyal will not have God’s favor. Do you have a loyal heart for the Lord or do you think He doesn’t notice your compromise and schemes to get ahead by your own genius? In Galatians 6:7 NKJV, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” What a sobering thought. Our genius is no match for God’s wisdom.
God, who is holy, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, and unchanging is on the side of those with a loyal heart. He will help us. He will hold us up and He will defend us. No problem is too big for Him to handle. No situation is too complex for Him to solve. He will give His full support to those who wholeheartedly live for Him.
Folks, it doesn’t get any better than that. I urge you, to go all out in living for Him and you will be blessed.
Hallelujah!
Pastor Leonard
