thoughts on Kings...

A couple of verses stood out to me this weekend as I was reading.

2 Chronicles 12:14...He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.

2 Chronicles 15:2...The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

2 Chronicles 15:15...They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.

2 Chronicles 16:9...For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

These verses make it very clear that we need to set our hearts on seeking the Lord. The first verse goes even further, saying that we do evil when we do not set our heart on the Lord. At first glance, that sounds incredibly harsh. We don't want to think of our actions as evil but clearly we are capable of it when we do not seek Him. Conversely, 15:15 says that when they sought Him (don't you love the word "eagerly"?), He gave them rest. Believe me, I could use some rest. And when I compare the words "evil" or "rest" as the outcome of my actions, the choice is easy to make.

One other thing that struck me this weekend was how Asa followed God with all his heart until he was older. I wonder if he grew complacent. Scripture says, "Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians." (16:12) What happened? Did he start believing his own press? Was he surrounded with people who told him how wonderful he was? I don't know. What I do know is that he is not the only person in the Bible that started out well but didn't finish strong. There's a lesson in that.

Then they bound themselves in a covenant to seek God, the God of their fathers, wholeheartedly, holding nothing back.They shouted out their promise to God, a joyful sound accompanied with blasts from trumpets and rams' horns. The whole country felt good about the covenant promise—they had given their promise joyfully from the heart. Anticipating the best, they had sought God—and he showed up, ready to be found. God gave them peace within and without—a most peaceable kingdom!
2 Chronicles 15:12,14-15 MSG