Press On

King Asa, great-grandson of King Solomon on my mind. You will find him in 2 Kings 15 and well as 2 Chronicles 14 to 16. When he came to the throne Judah was steeped in idol worship, forsaking yet again the Almighty God! Asa immediately took steps to get the people back on track with God.

He tore down idol shrines, found and removed idols wherever they were hidden, burned them; got his people to repent, return to God and renew their vow of fidelity to Yahweh. Oh, he even kicked his grandmother, who was the official queen-mother, off the throne because she had a secret idol, and then burned down her idol. He was full of zeal, he had moxie and started a revival.

God was super pleased with Asa and so prospered him as a king, fought his battles for him and for the larger part of his forty one year rule, Judah enjoyed peace though their neighbors suffered numerous battles.

The story changed though, by his thirty sixth year on the throne. We do not know what happened but his affection for God cooled down. He seemed cold, aloof and angry at God. Asa refused to seek God’s help in a battle with Israel, which was out of character and turned to the pagan Ben-Hadad instead. He snubbed God when he fell sick and resorted solely to doctors for help. For two years he suffered and finally died from the disease. Not the ending anyone would have expected seeing how he started.

I guess it really is true that how you start does not matter as much as how you end. I pray that God gives us all the grace to grow from strength to strength. May He renew our faith daily and keep us from losing hope as we journey through life. If you feel you are losing your fire, your zeal or beginning to feel the mid-year spiritual slump, ask God to help you. Sometimes time, fear, doubt, past experiences, current circumstances, unfulfilled expectations can be a drain on our faith.

In all situations let us remember that the God we have trusted is faithful; He does not lie and He will be good to us. Receive grace to press on!!

Blessings.

Love, Lady Monica!❤