To Our Readers:
There was no computer malfunction this time with our posting service, for the last couple of days I have not been feeling well. Please pray for ur total recovery. For His Glory!
In thinking about Asa, I saw in the scripture that he, like his father David “ran well” – until one day they made a decision that altered their reign as kings:
16-19 In his cleanup of the country, Asa went so far as to remove his mother, Queen Maacah, from her throne because she had built a shockingly obscene image of the sex goddess Asherah. Asa tore it down, smashed it, and burned it up in the Kidron Valley. Unfortunately he didn’t get rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines. But he was well-intentioned—his heart was in the right place, loyal to God. All the gold and silver vessels and artifacts that he and his father had consecrated for holy use he installed in The Temple of God. There wasn’t a trace of war up to the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign. 2 Chronicles 15:16-19 (MSG)
Asa went so far in cleaning up the country that he removed his own mother from her throne. What happened to Asa after the thirty-fifth year – what caused war to erupt?
7-9 Just after that, Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said, “Because you went for help to the king of Aram and didn’t ask God for help, you’ve lost a victory over the army of the king of Aram. Didn’t the Ethiopians and Libyans come against you with superior forces, completely outclassing you with their chariots and cavalry? But you asked God for help and he gave you the victory. God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help. Now you’re in trouble—one round of war after another.” 2 Chronicles 16:7-9 (MSG)
Asa relied on his own human reasoning to make a decision that brought war back to Judah! Just like David, when he all of a sudden decided to “number the troops” – something he knew that God did not want him to do – so Asa turned away from seeking /God and turned to the “arm of flesh.”
How many of us do that? We receive a good word that inspires us, motivates us, stirs us to action – and then when we get settled in our promise land – we forget the same life of faith that it took to get us there, it will take to keep us there! Asa ran well – for years- just like David – most of us do the same thing – we run well, and then all of a sudden begin to rely on our intellect, or human wisdom to see us through. And the funny thing is if we look closely we find that traits like this, seem to run in family lines.
Something to think about!
Maria
WHATEVER YOUR PLANS THIS WEEK-END, PLEASE INCLUDE THE MICHAEL GERARD COOK-OFF, “REAL MEN CAN COOK” AS PART OF YOUR SUNDAY PLANS.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Time: 12:00 until dusk
Place: Memorial Park – Matteson, Illinois
For more information: contact Neesha Stringfellow – mail4neesha@yahoo.com
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