“Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, and 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. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”
2 Chronicles 15:1-3
A humble heart responds to God’s Word, eager to honor Him. Asa, one of the Southern Israel kings, had just a heart. The Spirit of God moved upon one of His messengers to bring Asa to a decision point. Would he follow God’s ways or would he turn back and follow his own way?
Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord. He gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
2 Chronicles 15:8-9
How does Asa’s response to God’s Word guide us today?
In hearing God’s Word, Asa…
- Removed…idols from the land of Judah and all the way into the Northern territories of Israel.
- Restored…the altar of the Lord bringing sacrifice and restoration of fellowship with God.
- Gathered…the people from Judah as well as Israel to realign their hearts to God.
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
- God’s Word shows us that…
- Not one thing in this created world can ultimately satisfy us but God Himself. Thus, we remove those things and take captive thoughts and ideas contrary to God’s way (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
- Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead provides the means through which we are restored to fellowship with God. Both for our salvation and sanctification. Thus, our pursuit of Christ is like a deer panting for the streams of water (Psalm 42:1).
- We align our hearts with the hearts of God’s people under the banner of God’s Word. Thus, we are not like children tossed to and fro by the winds of the trickery of men (Eph. 4:14).
God bless us as we pursue our God through His Word this year….
— January 5, 2023