Mon.’s Devo - King Asa’s Reign

Read: 2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14; Romans 9:1-24; Psalm 19:1-14; Provers 20:1 Abijah died and his son Asa became the king of Judah. He was a good king who trusted in the Lord. He removed the pagan shrines and the incense altars from all of Judah’s towns so they enjoyed peace and rest from their enemies. During the time of peace, Asa did what we should do when we have times of refreshing and rest from battles. He fortified the towns God had given him. We should take the times of rest as a time to build up our faith and strengthen ourselves for the next battle. He made sure his army was well trained. Asa’s next battle came from an Ethiopian named Zerah who attacked with one million warriors. Asa had half the army he had but he relied totally on the Lord, and God’s army fought with him to defeat them. On his way home God sent his prophet, Obed to commend him for turning to the Lord and to promise him that as long as he trusted in the Lord, he would be with him and help him. In the rest of the world things were very dark and unsafe but God promised that their work would be rewarded and for them to be strong and courageous. Asa took courage and removed all the detestable idols from the land of Judah and Benjamin and repaired the altar of the Lord. The people in Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon along with the people from Judah and Benjamin met at Jerusalem and Asa sacrificed 7,700 animals on the altar to the Lord. Asa deposed his grandmother, Maacah because she made an obscene Asherah pole. They enjoyed peace until Asah’s 35th year of his reign. King Baasha of Israel invaded and fortified the city of Ramah to prevent the people of Judah from coming to Israel and vice versa. Ramah was a gateway between the two countries. Asa responded by taking silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple and sending them to King Ben-hadad of Aram to help him fight Israel. God sent his prophet Hananiah to rebuke him for hiring another country to help them instead of asking him to fight for them. Did he forget what God had done for them with Zerah? From now on they would be in constant war. Asa became so mad at Hananiah for rebuking him that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. He also began to oppress some of his people. Four years later, Asa developed a serious foot disease and didn’t seek the Lord so he died a year later. In Romans, Paul tries to explain predestination. God destined some people for his glory and others for their destruction. He used Jacob and Esau as the example. They were twins born to Jacob, God’s patriarch but God chose to have favor on Jacob and reject Esau. God who is the maker of everything decides everyone’s fate no matter if they are Jew or Gentile. Our job is to respond to his will for our lives. Lord, some things are too high for us to understand with our carnal minds so we have to trust your Spirit as our loving Father. Thank you for choosing us to respond to You.