Daily D – 2 Chronicles 15:1-2

by David Bowman | Jun 25, 2022 | Daily D | 0 comments

2 Chronicles 15:1, 2
The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. 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.” (NIV)

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭15:7‬ ‭
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” (NIV)

‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭16:9‬
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” (NIV)

—

King Asa was one of the good kings of Judah, but he did not finish as well as he started. You can read his story in 1 Kings 15:9-24 and 2 Chronicles 14-16.

Notice how God sent two different prophets to him with words of truth, life, and encouragement. The second prophet, Hanani the Seer, had to deliver bad news. We see it above in 2 Chronicles 16:9. The first half of what he said was an echo of what Azariah son of Oded had said in 2 Chronicles 15:2-7. The second half of his message was a word of judgment for not relying on God but on his own schemes.

It is helpful to listen to all God had to say to Asa in context.

1. The LORD is with you when you are with him (1 Kings 15:2).
2. If you seek him (the LORD), he will be found by you.
3. If you forsake him (the LORD), he will forsake you.
4. Be strong and do not give up (1 Kings 15:7).
5. The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

As long as Asa aligned his leadership and attuned his heart with God’s good promises, the best kind of success came his way. When he turned to his own way and did not heed God’s warnings, he experienced failure along with its consequences.

Asa did not handle bad news well.

Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison.
At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.
‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭16:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Four out of five of God’s words of instruction to Asa above are positive. They provide wise instruction to us today. The negative instruction above is a warning we should take to heart.

We can learn important lessons from Asa’s successes and failures. Here are some instructions leading to God-honoring, others-blessing lives.

1. Stand with God at all times.
2. Seek God first, last, and in all things.
3. Never give up on God.
4. Know that God is always ready to bless our obedience and faith.

You and I can live well and finish well when we take these lessons to heart.

—

I will finish well by never forsaking God.

—

Our Father, I take my stand with you. As Martin Luther so famously declared, “I can do no other.” I will seek you first, last, and always. I will never give up on you. I will trust and obey you in all things, at all times. Amen.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

CONNECT WITH ME!

Interested in learning more about Church Unique or Life Younique? Send a note through the Get In Touch box or Message me through the Facebook link above.

GET IN TOUCH!

READ MY BLOG!

Daily D – 2 Kings 23:25

2 Kings 23:25 Before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him.

Daily D – 2 Kings 20:1-6

2 Kings 20:1-6 In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.’”

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases you.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the Lord’s temple. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will rescue you and this city from the grasp of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

Daily D – 2 Kings 18:5-7

2 Kings 18:5-7 Hezekiah relied on the Lord God of Israel; not one of the kings of Judah was like him, either before him or after him. He remained faithful to the Lord and did not turn from following him but kept the commands the Lord had commanded Moses. The Lord was with him, and wherever he went he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.

Daily D – 2 Kings 17:12-15

2 Kings 17:12-15 They served idols, although the Lord had told them, “You must not do this.” Still, the Lord warned Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commands and statutes according to the whole law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God. They rejected his statutes and his covenant he had made with their ancestors and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations the Lord had commanded them not to imitate.

Daily D – 2 Kings 13:4-6

2 Kings 13:4-6 Then Jehoahaz sought the Lord’s favor, and the Lord heard him, for he saw the oppression the king of Aram inflicted on Israel. Therefore, the Lord gave Israel a deliverer, and they escaped from the power of the Arameans. Then the people of Israel returned to their former way of life, but they didn’t turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. Jehoahaz continued them, and the Asherah pole also remained standing in Samaria.