King James Bible Study Daily Devotional


Message Title: Seek God's Help
Date: Wednesday May 25, 2011
Chapters: II Chronicles 14-17
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-may-25
Details of Today's Chapters: The death of Abijah, Asa reigns, Judah at rest for ten years, Asa’s victory over Zerah, warnings of Azariah, reform under Asa, the war between Asa and Baasha, Asa rebukes God, Asa's death, and Jehoshaphat reigns, reviving the Law.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep...I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture...I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep...I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine...My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.“ - John 10:1,2,9,11,14,27-29.

There is only one way to God, heaven, and eternal life and that is by the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter how faithful we are to church, how much we serve God, how good we try to be, or even if we followed every one of the ten commandments, unless we know Jesus personally God has no knowledge of our works. Jesus is the door to God and once we get in that door nothing will separate us from God, even if we mess up, God is right there waiting for us to come to Him. Now, even though nothing can pluck us out of God's hand that does not mean we will not face some consequences for our sins, we will suffer, but when we humble ourselves before Him and seek His help He is right there ready and willing to help.

King Asa was the grandson of Rehoboam and the great-grandson of Solomon, he loved God, rejected the heathen gods and idols that these kings allowed in the cities of Judah, removed them all, and encouraged the people to seek and serve God. Because he had a perfect heart for God all was quiet in the land and there was no war for ten years.

“So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years. And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.” - II Chronicles 14:1-4.

As we seek God when things are quiet and going well, we assure God that we know He is there and that He is the reason why we are at peace and everything is going so well. God assures us that when we seek Him there is nothing that He will not do for us. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” - Psalm 1:1-3.

As long as Asa sought God he and all of Judah was at peace, do not be surprised if God does not test our faith when everything is going well. The ten year rest in Judah was about to come to an end, Zerah, the Ethiopian king, declared war on the Southern Kingdom of Judah. King Asa and the nation of Judah were faced with a million soldiers who had 300 chariots, the largest army recorded in the Old Testament. When Asa saw that army all he could think to do was pray.

“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. So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.” - II Chronicles 14:11-13.

As Asa prayed he reminded God that he acknowledged that without Him they would be defeated, and that He alone is the only one who could give them the victory. Because Asa humbled himself before God and sought His help God answered his prayer. Sometimes things go so smoothly that we forget that God is still there so, God will send a battle our way to remind us that He has not gone anywhere. Sadly, it is affliction always gets us praying without ceasing, which we should be doing all day long. “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you... And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - I Timothy 5:17,18,23.

After their victory Asa and his army got a visit from a prophet, not to compliment them and congratulate them on their success, but to quicken them to do their duty. He told them plainly upon what terms they stood with God.

“Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them...Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded. And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.” - II Chronicles 15:3,4,7-9.

We must keep ourselves busy, much of the trouble that we have ever gotten into was due to the fact that we were bored. Adam and Eve brought sin onto all of us because they focused on the one thing God forbade them to do. Israel fell into captivity to Egypt because they sold themselves instead of working. David's sin with Bathsheba happened because he stayed home when he should have been working. Temptation is never far from us, all it takes is for our minds to wander even for a second to act upon them. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” - James 1:12-14.

Asa and the Kingdom of Judah enjoyed many years of prosperity, but later when Baasha, King of Israel, became a threat to his border cities, sadly, we learn that Asa stopped relying on God and sought his own judgment in seeking help to defeat Israel. The result, war for the rest of his days as king and a disease that would take his life because he stopped seeking help from God. “And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.” - II Chronicles 16:12.

Sometimes pride is the thing that keeps us from seeking help from God. Some feel as though God will not forgive them or they are ashamed to admit to God they messed up and need His help. What they fail to realize is that God already knows all they need to do is come to Him and He will forgive them. No matter what we do we are still God's and nothing, not even the vilest of sins will cause Him to leave us. “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled” - Colossians 1:20,21.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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