Reading: I Kings 14-15
And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the Lord all his days(I Kings 15:11-14).
Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord… Asa’s heart was perfect with the Lord all his days. As children of God and members of the body of Christ, can we think of a more desirable epitaph? Despite having been raised by a morally ambivalent father and an idolatrous mother (biological grandmother), Asa loved God after the fashion of King David and modeled his leadership of Judah after David’s charge to Solomon: And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself (I Kings 2:3). Asa spent his entire life loving God and endeavoring to live within His will.
From the life of King Asa, we can learn many things. He modeled for us the importance of placing God number one on our priority list, over all others, even family (15:13). He demonstrated the overwhelming power of faith-driven prayer (II Chr. 14:8-13). And he taught that true humility before God is one of the highest forms of worship we can offer (15:8-15).
Not all of the lessons he has for us are positive in nature, however. Asa loved God, but he was an imperfect man living in an imperfect world. From Asa, we learn the devasting consequences that come from trusting in our own strength and cunning rather than turning to God (I Kings 15:18-19; II Chr. 16:7-9). We also learn the folly of placing our lives in the hands of man alone without ever consulting God. And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign (II Chr. 16:12-13).
Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from King Asa is that loving God and desiring to live in His will does not mean we are immune to temptation or bad choices. Living for God is not a passive, one-time choice; it is an action that must be undertaken each and every day. If we take our eyes off Him, even for a moment, we open ourselves up to all manner of dangerous detours.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God(Heb. 12:1-2).
Thought for Today: If we do not turn to God in our time of need, how can we truly believe in His power over all things?
Christ Revealed:In Asa’s ridding the land of idols and sodomites (I Kings 15:11- 14). Christ cleansed the Temple (Matt. 21:12-13; John 2:13-17). As Christians, we are the Temples of God, bought with His own blood (I Cor. 6:19-20; II Cor. 6:16-17) and are cleansed of all unrighteousness when we confess our sins (I John 1:9).
Word Studies:14:3 cracknels = cakes or fig bars; 14:5 feign herself = pretend; 14:6 heavy tidings = very sad news; 14:15 groves = pagan idol shrines; 15:12 took away the sodomites = banished homosexual male prostitutes; 15:17 suffer = allow or permit.
Pray For Government Officials:Sen. Cory Booker (NJ), Gov. Jim Justice (WV), Rep. Daniel Webster (FL)• Country: Macau (583,003) Southeast Asia • Major Languages: Chinese, Mandarin • 50% Buddhist; 15% Roman Catholic; 35% None/Other • Prayer Suggestion: Pray for unity of spirit with other believers (I Pet. 3:8).
Optional Reading Acts 28