Tuesday, April 10, 2018

If You Seek Him, He Will Be Found Of You

Have you ever heard of King Asa? 

I must have learned about him when I was younger when we studied all the different kings in school, but I - much to my shame, had forgotten. 

Just recently, however, I stumbled upon his role in God’s story in 2 Chronicles 14 and 15. 

King Asa started out so well. The Bible says “And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.” (2 Chronicles 14:2) 

Now if we read a little further we find out that King Asa had an army of 580,000 men. That seemed like a good sized army to me until I read on that an Ethiopian army was coming to attack him with an army of 1,300,000 men! 

What does King Asa do? 2 Chronicles 14:11 says: And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, Thou art our God; let no man prevail against Thee. 

And what is God's response? 
2 Chronicles 14:12 says: So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 

Then God speaks this message to King Asa through Azariah: And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you. 2 Chronicles 15:1-2 

Those verses really struck me. What a promise! And you know what? Those same words are still true today. The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you. 2 Chronicles 15:2 

Shouldn’t this spur us into action? God promises that if we seek Him, we will find Him! He also warns us that if we forsake Him, He will forsake us. 

If you want to find out what happens to King Asa you can read his story in 2 Chronicles 14 and 15, but more importantly think about what these words mean for you. 

Do you seek God with every part of your being? 

The people of Judah did and they found Him too! 
And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and He was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about. 2 Chronicles 14:15 

Only in His presence is fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore! 
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11 

Nothing can compare. There is nothing fuller than full or longer than forever.

If you don’t know God it’s your own fault for He promises that if we seek Him, He will be found of us, but if we forsake Him He will forsake us - and that should fill us with terror.

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