Topic: God Calls The Shots [Tuesday October 17, 2017]
Text: 2 Chronicles 14:1-15
Key Verse: “And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.” (2 Chronicles 14:11).
A combination of self-confidence, forgetfulness and outright rebellion had been the hallmark of Israel through the ages. The result was that Israel was left so spiritually bankrupt that even tiny nations rode roughshod over her.
King Asa must have learnt a great deal from Israel’s checkered history in warfare. He resolved to do all things to please God. Happy are those who walk by this rule: not to do that which is right in their own eyes or in the eyes of the world, but only what is approved by God. We find by experience that it is good to seek the Lord.
However, aiming at pleasing the Lord while pursuing the world, will amount to vexation of spirit. King Asa consulted with the people and concluded that they cannot afford to be complacent. He fortified Israel with defenced cities in strategic locations, and raised a combined army of five hundred and eighty thousand men from Judah and Benjamin. No sooner had he done this, than Ethiopia, heavily buoyed by a million-man strong army and three hundred chariots, invaded his kingdom.
This was a test of Israel’s allegiance to God. Asa’s prayer was short, but it was a real language of faith and expectation from God. He succeeded because he understood the meaning of handing over the reins to God, at his most vulnerable moment.
In times of turbulence, where lies your loyalty? It has to be firmly rooted in the Almighty. We should, by all means, avoid spiritual complacency because the state of today’s world demands watchfulness and intense prayers. God is ever willing to arm us with the requisite grace. As we go forth in His name, we are sure to win, knowing that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and enjoy His favour.
Thought for the day: Victory is sure when we fully trust in Jesus, the Master Strategist.
Bible Reading in one Year: 2 Kings 11-13
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
