Stay connected with God!
Scripture reading for April 26th: 2nd Chronicles 13-16
“Listen to me, Asa and all of Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” 2nd Chronicles 15:2
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2nd Chronicles 15:7
King Asa started out right and did right in the eyes of the Lord. He proceeded to remove idols from the land and commanded God’s people to seek the Lord and obey His laws. The land enjoyed peace under his godly rule. When an attack came from Zerah the Cushite, Asa called out to the Lord for help and God answered him. (2nd Chronicles 14:11) King Asa had a great victory as he walked close to the Lord.
God saw something inside of this king that He addressed through the prophetic ministry of Azariah, son of Oded. He encouraged Asa to keep on seeking the Lord and to stay with the Lord. He warned him and his followers that if they forsook the Lord, they would end up in trouble. He told King Asa to be strong and not give up. God would reward him for his work.
The prophetic word is meant to strengthen us, but we must stay humble and teachable. Asa was humble at the time of an earlier word, but later Asa went his own way without consulting God and enlisted the Syrian King Ben-Hadad with monies from the temple treasuries. The prophet Hanani told him he had done a foolish thing and would now be at war. Asa became angry with the seer and imprisoned him. He mistreated some of the Lord’s people as well. He got a disease in his feet, but refused to seek the Lord and only went to doctors. As a result, he died.
Thank God today for the prophetic word that seeks to warn and encourage us. Ask the Lord to teach you what you need to know. If you have a hard heart, connect with His amazing love and let this word encourage you. Be strong, do not give up, for your work will be rewarded! 2nd Chronicles 15:7
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