The life of King Asa.

The story of King Asa is written in 1 Kings.15:9-24 and 2 Chronicles, chapters 14-16. Let us observe his life and see what we can learn from him.
Asa became the king of Judah after his father Abijah died. (2 Chr.14:1). Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord.
He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God (Yahweh) of their fathers and observe the law and the commandments. He removed all the altars of foreign gods, broke down the sacred pillars and cut down their wooden images.  In his days the land was quiet and there were no wars because the Lord had given him rest, i.e. there was peace in the country. He built cities, walls around these cities, towers and gates. He prospered because he sought the Lord and the Lord gave him rest on every side.

When Zerah, the Ethiopian, came against him (2 Chr.14:9), Asa cried to the Lord and said that it was nothing for the Lord to help them. They were going in the name of the Lord and nothing could prevail against them. The Lord heard Asa and struck Zerah and his army and they were defeated and fled.The fear of the Lord came on the people.

Azariah, the son of Oded met Asa and said that the Lord was with Asa as long as he sought him but if Asa forsook the Lord, the Lord would forsake him. Israel had forgotten the Lord for a long time, so Asa restored the temple services and broke down all the idols of strange gods. In the fifteenth year of his reign, he made an oath to seek the Lord with all his heart and his people rejoiced. In the thirty sixth year of his reign, Baasha, king of Israel came against Asa. Asa made a treaty with BenHadad, king of Syria to attack Israel. He also took the gold and silver from the temple and gave it to Ben Hadad. When Hanani, the prophet came and told Asa that because he relied on men rather than the Lord, the Syrians escaped, Asa was angry with Hanani and put him in prison.

In the thirty ninth year of his reign, Asa suffered from a disease in his foot. Again he did not seek the Lord but sought the physicians. He died in the forty first year of his reign.

Asa was a man who feared the Lord and did things that were good in the sight of the Lord. As long as he did that, the land prospered. The people obeyed the laws and commandments and loved the Lord with all their heart. There was peace in the land. However in his old age, he forgot the Lord and turned to men for help. So the Lord forsook him and they had wars and there was no peace anymore. Even when he had a disease in his foot, he trusted in men rather than the Lord.

‘It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.’ (Psalms.118:8.)

It is better because it is wiser: God is definitely more able to help, and more ready to help, than man, and therefore commonsense suggests that we put our confidence in him than in others. It is our duty of the creature to trust in the Creator. God has created us and he deserves to be trusted.He is a faithful God (Yahweh) and to put our trust in others is to doubt his faithfulness. It is also safer, since we can never be sure if we rely upon mortal man, but we are always safe in the hands of our God. Trusting a man tends to make us dependent on him, but confidence in God calms the spirit, and sanctifies the soul. It is also much better to trust in God, for in many cases the man we trust  fails from lack of ability, from lack of generosity, or many times, from sudden loss of memory! But the Lord, who never fails us, does for us exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or even think. This verse is written out of the experience of many who have first of all found the support of man break under them, and have later joyfully found the Lord to be a solid pillar sustaining all their weight.
The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to him. 2Chr.16:9.
God (Yahweh) governs the world in infinite wisdom, and his creation is continually under his eye. The eye of God (Yahweh) it runs to and fro, it reaches far - through the whole earth, no corner is hidden from under him. His eye directs his hand, and the arm of his power and he shows himself strong.  God (Yahweh) governs the world for the good of his people. Those whose hearts are upright with him may be sure of his protection and have all the reason in the world to depend upon it. He is able to protect them in the way of their duty, and he actually intends their protection.
Are we loyal to our true Lord who died for our sins to cleanse us and take us to heaven? Do we worship him with our whole heart and soul? Do we trust him in our troubles or do we trust man whose help is in vain?
I wish we could make an oath with our whole heart and soul to obey the Lord’s word, trust in him at all times so that our lives will be prosperous and peaceful as long as we live and enter his heavenly abode and live eternally with him.
May the Lord bless you and open your hearts and save your souls!