The True Source Of Help And Strength
The True Source Of Help And Strength
2 Chronicles 14:9-15 (Asa Chronicles 2).
Click on here to read Asa Chronicles 1
Key verse: 2 Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, “LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!”.
In this life, we have all sorts of human inventions and self-taught mechanisms for living and engaging life’s adversities. But no matter how versatile they may seem, they always crumble at the end of the day.
From the previous lesson, we have learned how this king built a capacity for warfare, but when the problem came, it was far beyond what his capacity could overcome- Luke 14:31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? He needed extraordinary help as the enemy drew near. He had a troupe of 580,000 against a million enemies with better equipment and weapons of war. This sounds familiar in our present day. We are confronted with an enemy who has a lot of experience, recruits, and weapons of darkness on his side. This is why it will be futile to dare confront him with the weapon of the flesh or the might of our muscles. Many have been decimated by mere affront of the enemies without a strong backup in God. I heard of a man who always boasted of his powers and invincibility. He was struck with an unusual illness and at the time of his death, someone overheard a conversation from an individual citing that the powerful man was merely tested with the smallest element of confrontation to verify his boastings. Alas, he succumbed to the littlest of battle. Does this mean we have to fear and fret at the enemy’s behest, nay, the text above shows us there is an ultimate power that can stand and defend the righteous from all battles: the battle against our faith, our lives, family, and destiny, against our prosperity, against our kingdom assignment, against our health and mind, etc. This is the power of God- unequal, unquenchable, and everlasting- Psalms 62:11 God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.
The prayer of King Asa is instructive to every Christian today. Unlike some other kings who would immediately start sourcing for help from stronger nations, he showed he had an ongoing relationship with God, and demonstrated his absolute dependence and assurance on the arm of God for the deliverance of Israel. He ascribed all power to God despite his own preparations and capacity building and trusted in the mercy of God. Of course, you know the end of the story, same with the ending of all those who trusted in God for their battles- David before Goliath, Jehoshaphat against the three heathen kings, the disciples against the sea storm, etc.
Meditation
I will lift up my eyes unto the hills –
from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
