Whom do you trust? The level of trust you put in others could be great or small, depending on your relationship with them, your own past experiences, and their track record of exhibiting trustworthiness.
In 2 Chronicles 15, the king of Judah, Asa, has determined to trust in God with all his heart. In fact, trusting in God with all his heart has led to Asa’s successful leadership. God promised to be with Asa as long as Asa remained faithful to God. But God also warned Asa that if he abandoned God, God would abandon Asa in his leadership of God’s people.
But as for you [Asa], be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7
What is the work Asa accomplishes during his reign as king of Judah?
- Asa is courageous and removes pagan idols from the land. (2 Chronicles 15:8)
- Asa repairs the altar of the Lord in the Lord’s Temple. (2 Chronicles 15:8)
- Asa gathers God’s people to worship the Lord. (2 Chronicles 15:9-11)
- Asa leads God’s people to enter a covenant to seek the Lord with all their hearts and souls. (2 Chronicles 15:12, 15)
- Asa removes his grandmother from her position as queen mother because she made idols to worship false gods. (2 Chronicles 15:16)
What is God’s response to the people seeking God with all their hearts?
- God reveals Himself to them. (2 Chronicles 15:15)
- God gives them rest from their enemies. (2 Chronicles 15:15)
How is Asa, king of Judah, remembered?
- Asa’s heart remained completely faithful throughout his life. (2 Chronicles 15:17b)
- There was no war in the first thirty-five years of Asa’s reign. (2 Chronicles 15:19)
- The people of Judah honored Asa when he died with fragrant spices, ointments, and a huge funeral fire. (2 Chronicles 16:14)
What changed in the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign?
- The king of Israel invaded the land of Judah to oppose Asa. (2 Chronicles 16:1)
- Asa decides to make a treaty with a neighboring nation’s king by sending the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple. (2 Chronicles 16:2-3)
For 35 years of his reign, Asa trusted in God and God blessed and honored Asa’s leadership of God’s people. Yet, in the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, for some reason which is not recorded in 2 Chronicles, Asa decides to trust in a human king instead of God, to fight his battles, provide protection from his enemies, and give Asa victory.
What is the result of Asa trusting in man and buying man’s protection instead of trusting in God?
- Asa misses his chance to have victory over an enemy. (2 Chronicles 16:7)
- Asa remains at war for the rest of his reign. (2 Chronicles 16:9c)
How did Asa respond to God’s message that Asa was a fool to trust in men instead of God?
- Asa is angry with God’s messenger. (2 Chronicles 16:10a)
- Asa throws God’s messenger in prison. (2 Chronicles 16:10a)
- Asa takes out his anger for his own sin on God’s people by oppressing them. (2 Chronicles 16:10b)
God gives Asa a chance to repent from trusting in man, but Asa refuses. For three years, Asa remains stubborn regarding his sin of abandoning his trust in God.
God allows Asa to suffer a serious disease. Yet, even with the severity of his disease, Asa does not seek God’s help but only turns to his human physicians. (2 Chronicles 16:12) Asa suffered from his disease for two more years, and then he died. The author of Second Chronicles does not record if Asa ever repented from not trusting in God.
What can you learn about trusting in God from Asa’s life and leadership?
God remains faithful to those who trust in Him. God told Asa that He would remain with Asa if Asa trusted in God with all his heart and promised to reveal Himself to Asa whenever Asa sought God. But God also warned Asa that if he abandoned his trust in God that God would abandon His support of Asa.
Trusting in God is a daily decision. God is always present and available to Asa. For thirty-five years, Asa chooses to trust in God, but in year thirty-six of his reign, Asa decides to trust in man or put another way, Asa chooses to abandon his trust in God. Why? The chronicler does not record why. Maybe this is because the record focuses on trusting in God, not the reasons for Asa’s behavior.
God gives opportunity to repent and trust in Him again. Asa remains king of Judah for five more years after abandoning his trust in God. Yet, Asa stubbornly refuses to acknowledge his sin before God. Not only did Asa miss his chance for victory over an enemy, but he lives angry for the rest of his earthly life. Angry about the consequences of his sin. Angry at God’s truth about his abandonment of God. Angry at God’s messenger. Angry at God’s people. Angry about his disease. Asa spends the last five years of his life on earth being angry and taking out his anger on others.
Trusting in God requires constant effort and focus. In the first thirty-five years of Asa’s reign, Asa is known as God’s leader whose heart remains completely faithful to God. Asa trusts God with all his heart and leads God’s people to enter a covenant to seek God with all their hearts and souls. However, the last five years of Asa’s reign seem irreconcilable compared to the first thirty-five years of his reign. What happened to Asa’s heart and mind that he lost sight of his covenant with God? Asa’s life and leadership are a reminder that anyone can commit to trust in God, but trusting in God until you take your last breath on earth requires constant effort and focus.
Contemplate these reflection questions about trusting in God.
- Are you trusting in God with all your heart?
- What evidence is there that you live your life trusting in God?
- Can you identify any area of your life where you have abandoned your trust in God to put your trust in others or yourself?
- How are you daily challenging yourself to remain faithful to trust in God with all your heart for all the days of your life?
- If you are not trusting in God, are you willing to repent and return to trusting in God?
The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9a
