The Times...They Are a Changin'...

Things change.

People change.

Perspectives change.

That event which causes so much pain one week, ends up being something of an afterthought another week. It's funny how our perspective can change so radically....so quickly.

Asa was the King of Juda for 41 years. He was a King that relied whole-heartidly on the Lord; so much so that he COMMANDED Juda to seek and follow the Lord, the God of their fathers. Asa removed the high places and incense alters in every town in Juda and the land had peace during the first 35 years of his reign. (There was one confrontation with the Cushites....but Asa called on God, and He struck them all down). Asa heeded the words of the prophets, and responded to them. But then something interesting happened...

Baasha, who was the King of Israel, blocked off the lands Asa owned to keep anyone from getting in or out. In response Asa made a deal with Ben-Hadad, the King of Aram. This deal involved the silver and gold out of the Lords temple and his own palace....Ben-Hadad's armies would then attack the towns of Israel, thereby setting them free; which he did.

One of the prophets then confronted Asa and notified him that because he didn't totally rely on God, as he had before, God said He was going to end the time of peace and that there would be war in his land from now on. Asa then became angry and even put the prophet in prison. At the same time it's noted that he began to oppress some of the people. Years later Asa contracted a disease on his feet and would not seek the Lord for a cure, but chose to use doctors instead.

Funny how even the most seemingly solid people can change.

How did Asa end up so far away and so off???

Funny how we often forget to seek the Lord and do things our own way.

There are consequences for this. How long have we been preventing ourselves from receiving the most God has for us because we decided to do things our way.

Have we not asked God what His will is?