Since the days of Cain and Abel, humankind has made its way to the battlefield. Brother against brother, tribe against tribe, nation against nation: as image bearers broken by sin, we are prone to draw swords in our quest for power and prosperity.
Every history class covers the basics of this cycle. Someone rises to rule. Someone else wants what they have. Armies are assembled. Bullets fly. Warriors perish. White flags rise. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat.
But that’s just the lower story. There is another battle of greater significance. Here, the armies of heaven fight the armies of darkness, and the battle belongs to the Lord (1Samuel 17:47). Though 1 and 2 Chronicles are the archives of Israel’s kings, they also have a more interesting story to tell.
When Abijah squared off against Jeroboam, humanly speaking, his loss seemed certain. What are four hundred thousand warriors against an army of twice as many men? (2Chronicles 13:3). Yet Abijah faced his enemy unafraid and announced, “But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not abandoned him…” (v.10). Swords made of matter clashed at the same time supernatural weapons were unleashed, revealing that this wasn’t Abijah’s war to win.
Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
—2 Chronicles 13:15 ESV
The next chapter records a new king and a new war. This time King Asa faced an enemy horde of one million soldiers (2Chronicles 14:9). Once the battle lines were drawn, Asa called out to the general of heaven.
Then Asa cried to the Lord his God, “LORD, there is no one besides you to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, LORD our God, for we depend on you, and in your name, we have come against this large army. LORD, you are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder you” (v.11).
And again: “So the LORD routed the Cushites before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushites fled” (v.12).
Because of Asa’s devotion to the God who rescued him in battle, his nation enjoyed a brief moment of peace (2Chronicles 15), but like so many other rulers, Asa soon forgot his battlefield lessons and fought on his strength. Like those before (and after!) him, Asa’s self-sufficiency drew his people back into war.
“For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him. You have been foolish in this matter. Therefore, you will have wars from now on” (2Chronicles 16:9).
You may not hold political power. You may never command a platoon. Still, the Spirit has preserved the lessons Israel’s kings learned the hard way so that we might choose the more excellent way (Romans 15:4).
You have battles to fight today. I have skirmishes of my own. We only have two choices. Will we call out to the God of armies or rely on our own meager strength? Wars are won in the heart. Battles shake out in the heavens. Whenever the battle strikes, may we repeat the prayer that saved Asa’s hide. O Lord, we rely on you (2Chronicles 14:11).
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43 thoughts on "Revival Under King Asa"
I’m reading about Asa’s preparation for the future (2 Chron 14:1-7) and am curious how this is different from David’s lack of trust in God when he conducted the unofficial census. How is Ada’s preparation different from David’s preparation? Does Asa’s demonstrate any more or less trust in God than David’s census? I’m curious what everyone’s take on this is. Regardless, God is good and faithful!!
Armies of heaven fight the battles of darkness, and the battle belongs to he Lord.
I am so enjoying the devotionals in the app. It truly helps enrich each day’s reading.
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Kelly NEO, ironically I just read that today.
Happy St Patrick’s day dear she’s. @Kelly (Neo), thank you for sharing the prayers of St. Patrick, a wonderful apostle of Jesus who brought the gospel to Ireland. I read some sources that he casted out demons, raised 33 people from the dead, used a shamrock (three-leaved clover) to teach of Holy Trinity, performed thousands of miracles, endured slavery, and even banished snakes from the island (he was bitten by a deadly one during a fast and he banished snakes from utter frustration and they were not seen after… Wow). Yet the world out there might focus on green beer and getting drunk on this day. But… praise be to our God for such a mighty patriarch of faith and the legacy St Patrick left behind.
Thank you ladies for sharing your insights and wisdom in the commentary today. What cherished friendships and wonderful sisterhood we have in Christ and one another.
PRAYING…
@Catherine: for your friend Marsha’s cancer diagnosis. May God heal and destroy this sickness.
@Rebecca W: praying for your son Brett, may God redeem mistakes and reverse consequences.
@Mari V: congrats on the great turn out at court. Praise Jesus.
@Jen Anapol : praying that your child gets well soon and more rest for you.
@Foster mama: hopefully the phone call went well, and God’s grace and mercy to cover any possible missteps.
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend :)
Be blessed dear sisters.
Reading back through these comments before I go to bed and lifting your requests. @Mari V- so, so happy that God was with you as you faced your court date, and the outcome was favorable! Keep staying strong and showing God’s love to your kiddos.
@ Jennifer Anapol- such a tough cycle to be caught in when your sweet babe is sick and you both lose precious sleep. Prayers for healing and rest. ❤️
@Rhonda J. Your kind words brought me to tears and even read it to my daughter. THANK YOU for your encouragement! PLEASE pray for my son. He called me on my 10 minute break (and his 10 minute break) and is having some second thoughts about a relationship! Pray for him to hear the voice of GOD and not his.
I love the wisdom in these chapters. We do all have battles that we fight everyday. We have a choice in that battle, will we rely on ourselves or the Lord? The battle I am facing right now is sickness with my baby. She keeps getting sick and this affects her sleep; which in turn affects my sleep. I am feel so bad for her, and I’m exhausted. I can’t do this on my own strength. I pray I would choose to rely on Jesus to get me through this time. ❤️
“They had sought him with all sincerity, and he was found by them”. Praying that God sees our hearts as we seek Him daily through His word and that he gives us eyes to see Him. Great comments ladies. I am learning so much. Have a great weekend!
@Mari V Hallelujah! I have prayed in this journey with you from afar, here in this special place, and I am so pleased that God has made his great presence be known in your life! It is especially hard to see when we are in the hard spaces and he is so close that he is hard to see, but then we can look back and KNOW we couldn’t have done it without Him, and he sends us and gives us just what we need when we need it. You will be a beacon for other women I am sure! And what a great example of a strong woman to your daughter and son!! I can’t wait for that big hug one day!! One day we are going to have a big SRT party!
Good morning She’s! Such great wisdom in these verses today and from all of you. Could I please ask you to add my dear friend Marsha to your prayer lists? She has been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and it has already metastasized. She will start chemotherapy on Wednesday. Of course we are all devastated and still in shock. She was just so excited a couple of weeks ago to find out that she was going to be a grandma! Please pray for strength for her and her family as she begins treatment and for God to heal her if it be His will. Thank you! I appreciate all of you so much. Have a great weekend!❤️
So let’s all go, out and be SALTY for our Lord!
CeeGee and Lisa Chapek- thank you so much for sharing your insights! It really helped me get even more out of our readings today. What really struck me was when Asa reached out to the other king for help – I just saw him being responsible and taking care of his kingdom. Also with his illness – going to his doctors. Good adulting right? But No! God said to me. You need to look to me with your problems! So- so much for me patting myself on the back for being a responsible adult. God thank you for reminding me to always look to you in all things! Happy St Patrick’s day!
MARI V -Rejoicing with you and continuing to pray for you and yours!!!
Michelle Patire – I had the same revelation about 2 Chronicles 15:7, both in how it spoke to me and reminded me of Galatians 6:9.
Mari V – such great news!!
Cee Gee – thanks for sharing, I didn’t catch that about the salt. I remember that salt was so precious back then, a valued commodity. And according to Jesus we are the “salt of the world” – He who lives in us helps to preserve us, and then as we go out and spread the Good News, His work in and through us helps to season others with salt as they accept Jesus into their lives ❤️ Dunno if that makes sense, that’s how I interpret it lol.
Rebecca W – praying for you and Brett
Gramsiesue – praise God that the scans were clear!!
Kelly(Neo) – what a beautiful prayer! Thanks for sharing ❤️
Happy Saint Patrick’s day ladies! And happy Aloha Friday :)
You wanted to say “Asa don’t do it, don’t do it!” But just like Asa we too can fall away from our reliance on God. We forget to remember just all He has and will continue to do for us.
@ MARI V, Praise Jesus!!
Arrow Prayer Request: Can you say a quick “God give her wisdom. Please undo any mess she’s made / making.”
(I don’t know WHY when my morning time with Jesus gets delayed, I STILL choose to send sensitive text messages… choosing to be “timely” rather than seeking the Lord :/ )
♥️ We have a VERY important phone call later; please pray God’s hand is present in every breath ♥️
I stared to look up words in John 14:21 in the Strongs concordance for the original meanings in the Greek. Wow, what I found!
“The one who has (to hold in a sense of wearing, to have possession of the mind, to hold one’s self to a thing, cling, be in companionship with as in marriage or friendship) my commands (authoritative prescription – ie the only solution with the authority to heal) and keeps (to attend to carefully, to guard, to keep one in the state in which he is in) them is the one who loves (to welcome, entertain, be fond of, love dearly) me…I also will love (to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, love dearly) him and will reveal (to manifest, exhibit to view, to show one’s self, disclose, make known) myself to him. So every time his authoritative prescriptions are our clothing and the possessor of our minds and we attend to and guard them carefully, then we welcome and entertain (like having a meal) Christ and He welcomes and loves us dearly AND manifests all that He is to us and opens our eyes to see it. Wow what a promise!
Since the summer of 2017, even before that, but especially during that summer that year, I had nowhere else to turn but to God. And ever since then, my faith has grown and gotten stronger, and my only dependence was/is on God. Thank you all for praying for me yesterday. Thank you all who have been walking this journey with me. Though on this side of heaven, I may never meet any of you, someday I will, and can’t wait to give you all a huge hug. Yesterday I was strong only because HE is strong for me. The restraining order against my ex spouse was renewed and extended to the max for another 5 years!! And in the courtroom, there was still no changing that man. I was grateful for the advocate from Women’s Haven that came with me.
I can do HARD things only because of Christ, who goes before me, and does it for me. My life verse: Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.”
Wow. So much to these chapters today. Verses that stuck out to me:
“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” 2 Chronicles 15:7
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and from throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
The first verse especially sticks out because a prayer I’ve had the past year was for God to “bless the work of my hands.” I pray that over those struggling with work (whether a physical job or SAHMs/caregivers). It is a mirror of Galatians 6:9- that we won’t grow weary in doing good, but will trust God to make a harvest of plenty through our labor.
The story of Asa is especially powerful. He literally went up against an army of 1 million and God defeated them on Judah’s behalf! So many testimonies in these chapters of how seeking God is our greatest way to victory. Beautiful word.
Thinking and praying peace to you, @Sarah D & Rebecca. May God bless you both with wisdom, strength, and joy.
Help me not to rely on my strength but to rely only on God. The battle is the Lord’s
LEHUA K and JILL FOR – I feel the same way! What caught my attention this morning was the ‘covenant of salt’ and I found some interesting stuff digging into that – ie. where they got their salt, etc. It was used on meat offered for sacrifice to add flavor and to preserve the meat since that was what the Levites relied upon. The main idea was that it represents preservation – a long time commitment to God. I also noted Asa’s prayer and 2 Chronicles 16:9.
KELLY NEO – Thank you for sharing Patrick’s prayer! HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY to all who celebrate it!
Dear sisters, I’m coming again to ask for prayer for my adult son. Just when I think things are back on track something derails it. I found out yesterday that something happened concerning him, and it just made my heart sink. BUT instead of going into panic mode I remembered to go to God. I prayed hard most of the evening and asked for rest when I lay down to sleep. I had to get up super early to catch a flight to Raleigh to attend my niece’s wedding. I prayed that this newest setback with my son would not ruin this family event with all my siblings, and extended family. Sometimes I can have a pity party thinking their lives and children turned out perfectly and go down that rabbit hole of comparison. When in reality I know that is not true, and they are the most loving siblings a girl could ask for! So, all that to say, please pray for Brett that he would ask God to help him and in turn see God do amazing things in his life! Thank you so much!!!
Lifting all in prayer. @Kelly (neo)loved the prayer of St Patrick! Blessings to all!
Oh Asa, you started out so strong. You cleaned out the ungodly things, you inspired your nation to godliness, you renewed the covenant…. but at the end of your life you turned your back on God.
Chronicles has been so interesting, and discouraging at times of how fickle humanity can be, even when they see miraculous deliverance before their very eyes. It’s also encouraging. Encouraging to know I am no alone in my fickleness, and that God remains so steadfast and eager to forgive when I humbly come before him in repentance. Daily renewal and seeking of God’s presence in all that I will attend to in any given day is crucial, or I, too, will forget all that God has done for me.
Praying for you, Friends. Have a great Friday and a restful weekend. Here in the PNW we are finally getting some Spring weather and my husband, kids and I are feverishly trying to get a giant garden area fenced to start growing and cultivating our land. It’s exciting and a little overwhelming as we are learning so much as we go! God has blessed us immensely and it’s a joy to thank Him as we work.
I love how in Chapter 15 God sent Azaryah to encourage Asa. He describes in verses 3-6 where it seems our world is today. Then he says “But you, be strong, and don’t slack off; for your work will be rewarded.” Need this as I can grow weary in the battle although I know the victory is secure!
Good Morning She’s
Great lessons once again in today’s reading. Over and over we see how leaders go through the swinging doors of dependence on God, and other dependencies. And it is right there for us to see over and over, that it just doesn’t work any way but through God! Yet, we, sinners-do the same thing in our lives.
I need so much strength from God in this hardship right now, may I not depend on anything or anymore…than trusting in him. My joy through the weeks are simple things for the Lord, so I don’t know why I have been shut off from them, but still, I will trust in you my God, that you will fill my soul with your presence, and not the things I do “for” you. Maybe they are for me? I don’t know, but I will “be still” and “wait” on you heavenly Father.
@gramiesue- I didn’t see a post from you, but someone said the scans were clear—PRAISE GOD!! That was definitely in my prayers!
Praying for you @Lynnfromalabama for you and your husband in this hard time.
May we look to God FIRST, before medical doctors, friends, or anything else we valud. He is the name we call upon.
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Good morning everyone, happy Friday! I’ve been finding it hard to wake up in the mornings this week, but I’m hoping the weekend will help me get some more rest. I am still waiting to hear back about the positions I applied for. Really praying I can change jobs within ideally the next month. Also praying for wisdom with my dating relationship, it is long distance (3 hours) but it is an interesting dynamic to get to know each other better through text/FaceTime, then meeting up. Would love your continued prayers! Praying I would have endurance as I push through my current job, even though I desperately want to leave. Trying to stay thankful and look at the positives. Praying for you all!
Amen
Help me to be faithful to You Father God. Let me not stray after other gods or go my own way in my own strength. Amen ❤️
Lord, only You can fight my battles! I give it all to You. In Jesus name, Amen
Loved the prayer of St. Patrick you shared @Kelly (NEO)! I pray I would rely on the Lord above my own strength. I want to pray more about the battles I face, and pray BEFORE reaching out to friends and family for comfort & advice. I hope everyone has a blessed weekend! <3 I have another weekend of rest and I am so looking forward to it. This week has been hectic with work.
I’ve been enjoying reading Chronicles from the KJV from bible gateway. It is the audio version and it is fantastic! Have a blessed weekend ladies!❤️
Asa soon forgot his battlefield lessons and fought on his own strength.
God, that is me!!
I forget.
I become self-sufficient.
Please, HolySpirit, help my short memory to recall your faithfulness, love, mercy and great strength.
I too am loving going deeper and reading this portion of Gods word. I am challenged today to choose the more excellent way. Lord help me to call out to you and not rely upon my own strength in my own battles.
I too a
We can never gain enough strength to battle our enemy apart from the Lord. Why we would want to try reveals just how easily we can turn away from Him.
Part of Patrick’s prayer for you today:
“Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.”
Amen
This is so fascinating! I’m loving the deep dive and reading more slowly to understand what happened at ground level. The words on the pages are coming to life. Thank you Lord for this renewed hunger and passion to learn and reflect on the passages.
Good works cannot produce salvation, however salvation will produce an attitude of obedience. A thought for JOHN 14:21 sisters
Going deeper… JOHN 14:21
Good works cannot produce salvation, however salvation will produce an attitude of obedience.
Going deeper… JOHN 14:21