Seek God First; Seek God Always

2 Chronicles 14-16 tell us about Asa, King of Judah. Asa became king when his father Abijah died. Asa started out quite well for we are told that there was no war for the first ten years of his reign. Asa “did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord, his God” (14:2). Not only did Asa worship God, he also commanded Judah to “seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment” (14:4).

When after the tenth year of Asa’s reign, the Ethiopians came up to attack Judah with a million men, Asa cried out to the Lord saying, “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!” (14:11)

Clearly, at this time Asa’s heart and faith in God were pure for he recognized the power of his God. Verse 13 records, “So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army.”

Azariah, a prophet of God tells Asa as long as he will seek God, God will be found by him, but if he forsakes God, then God will forsake him. Indeed, Asa remains true to God for many years; so much so chapter 15, verse 13 tells us anyone who did not seek God was put to death. Asa even removed his own mother from being queen mother because she had an “obscene image” (v.16) of Asherah.

Sadly, 2 Chronicles 16 records that in the thirty-sixth year of his reign, Asa seeks aid from the king of Syria instead of calling upon God. When told of his error, Asa, does not repent, but throws God’s prophet into prison. Later, when Asa becomes ill, he once again rejects God and seeks the help of man. Soon after, Asa dies.

The lesson for us is clear; we are to seek God first and always, (i.e., continuously). As long as we seek Him, He will be found by us. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us:

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

That is a powerful statement; a comforting statement. This is not just an outdated, Old Testament lesson, for Christ Jesus repeats this same lesson in the Sermon on the Mount when He teaches us in Matthew 7 to seek and we will find. James, the brother of Jesus, repeats the lesson in James 4:8 when he tells us to draw near to God and God will draw near to us.

Thank God for His infinite grace, mercy and love toward us! Amen!

God bless!