Don't Let Me Shoot the Messenger

   I continued reading in 2 Chronicles this morning, concerning Asa, King of Judah. Saturday, when I was going through chapter 15 there, these words came through:

"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."

   Then today I continue in chapters 16 and 17 as it recounts the end of Asa's reign and life. Another prophet comes to Asa with these words:

 ^"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”  Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time."

   For 35 years, Asa stayed true to God. He did many right things in His eyes, and his overall record as a king was good and God did bless him through all of this. For 35 years, Asa sought God, but then something happened. It seems that his memory of all the blessings and why they had come about, left him. He had a military problem and, instead of turning to God for help, seeking His face, and putting his trust there, he turned to his own devices.

   We can tell the condition of Asa's heart in the way he treats the messenger of God:

 ^"Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this."

   35 years of following God and receiving His blessings for himself and for his kingdom, and then a falling away. His trust went to himself, and he left God out of the picture. In the 39th year of his reign, he developed some medical problem with his feet and he died.

   Asa did not finish well. He was considerably better than most of the kings of that land, but he let his trust in himself, and possibly his advisors, keep him from could have been.

   I have always said that I wanted my life to be one of obedience to God and service to Him. I know I have not always been faithful in all of this, but I do want to finish well. What years I may have left, I want to be filled with trust in His Will and His Way, so my prayer is that God will help me to stay on the right path, to listen to his messengers around me and respond to their admonitions and warnings in the right way.

   How many days are left in my tenure? Only God knows.

   It is easy to put my trust in my experiences and what I think, and shoot the messengers that tell me otherwise, but, please God, keep me faithful till the end, listening to You.