WHEN Asa heard this message from Azariah the prophet, he took courage and removed all the detestable idols from the land of Judah and Benjamin and in the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. And he repaired the altar of the Lord, which stood in front of the entry room of the Lord’s Temple.
2 Chronicles 15:8 NLT
The first 35 years of Asa's reign was the nation's golden years. It was marked by prosperity and peace...because they all, from the King to the people, sought the Lord—a hunger for God that was not only a personal but a national phenomenon. The seriousness of this was reflected in their laws and lifestyle.
The foundation of King Asa's success in governance was neither a strong economy nor military might. Prosperity and peace were direct results of a deep spiritual revolution under His leadership. While it is also true that other nations who are not as religious as others have strong economies and military might, only a deep authentic spiritual revolution can bring about genuine transformation.
A genuine national transformation is an issue of the heart and not of the head. This phenomenon requires God’s stirring more than man's strategizing. God initiates it, only then can we respond. Whether we receive or reject the invitation of God, the first move always comes from God. In the midst of this spiritual darkness, God's people can only agonize in prayer that God will continue to stir hearts. Once these holy stirrings stops, all hope for a genuine spiritual encounter stops!
Let us learn what caused this spiritual and religious revolution:
1. God stirred His people through His Prophet Azariah. verse 1
2. King Asa sought the Lord for help. verses 8-10
3. The People agreed to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul. verses 12-15
4. King Asa purged the kingdom from corrupt leadership. verses 16-18
5. God granted peace and no war for 35 years. verse 19
Insights to Ponder:
1. When it comes to meeting God in a spiritual encounter, it’s ALWAYS God who initiates.
2. In most cases, God uses a vessel to facilitate this holy meeting...God chooses the person, God chooses the place.
3. When we call on the Lord in desperate dependence upon Him, God draws near to answer.
4. A leader who calls upon the Lord will influence a nation calling upon the Lord.
5. Collective crying to God in prayer makes a difference which only God can do or bring about.
King Asa's first half was truly a deep and powerful experience for Judah. It was something only God can do and only prayer can bring about. While the first half is very impressive the second half is the exact opposite. We will talk about the second half in the next issue. Meanwhile, let us reflect on this insight...Our present victory does not guarantee anything. It is not how we begin that truly defines the substance of our journey here on earth, it is how we end. No matter what happens, God's mercy endures forever ... for even His anger is mercy; His judgment’s and discipline is mercy. It is hard to accept this for it requires more than a cognitive approach, there has got to be a genuine spiritual encounter with God. We can only humbly plead for mercy. ‘LORD, have mercy on me, a sinner,’ is a good breakthrough for an authentic transformation.