Backsliding

When you are righteous and The LORD has blessed you, be sure not to turn back or turn away from The LORD. A look at the life of king Asa, a king of Judah in 2 Chronicles 14,15 and 16 , starkly reminds us of this.

“For the eyes of The LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to HIM. You have done a foolish thing and from now on you will be at war.”

These words were said by Hanani the seer, to King Asa. These words enraged the king and landed Hanani the seer in prison. All Hanani had done was deliver a message from the KING of kings to a king. You would have thought, King Asa would have listened and repented and asked for leniency from The LORD like Cain, but alas he didn’t. So, our prophet Hanani did time.

King Asa is listed as a good king. He did what is right in the eyes of The LORD at least in the beginning. He even deposed his own grandmother for making a repulsive idolatrous image. He started very well after the death of his father Abijah. 2 Chronicles 15 records the SPIRIT of GOD coming on Azariah and he communicated to King Asa a message of direction, hope and encouragement ending with the words “... But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded...”. From these words, King Asa went ahead zealously for The LORD and the land was at rest, until the last five to six years of his reign.

Then, the king of Israel rose up against Judah. Apparently, Asa lost it, took wealth from the treasury of The LORD and his own palace and gave it to the King of Aram to entice him to stop supporting the king of Israel so that the king of Israel would leave him alone. This worked but The LORD was displeased because king Asa had sought help from man, hence HE dispatched Hanani with a message to Asa. As said earlier, off went Hanani to prison and around that time the scripture records that Asa began oppressing the people. Asa also became sick, but sought help from doctors and not The LORD. Then Asa died and was buried like a king.

What happens to us that we start well and finish terribly? This problem was not Asa’s alone. Galatians 3:3-4.” Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the SPIRIT, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain – if it really was in vain? “.

What went wrong with Asa? What are the signs that we are getting off the right path? What should we watch out for after we have experienced the LORD and HIS goodness and mercies?

i.) When we trust in ourselves instead of The LORD. We attribute what The LORD has done in us and through us as belonging to us or due to us. We are in danger of not finishing well.

ii.) When we trust in fellowmen we are attracting a curse on ourselves. Cursed is the man who places his trust in man the scripture says so. Asa trusted the king of Aram and doctors. The bible says his illness was severe but he did not seek The LORD. And soon his end came. Beloved, let us always put our trust in The LORD in whatever circumstances. Let us seek HIS face and HIS will in our circumstances.

iii.) We forget the unseen and start following the seen. Asa saw and used the gold and wealth to cut a deal, he forgot the great victory which The LORD has wrought for him in 2Chronicles 14:9. It is not uncommon for when the LORD has blessed us, for us to start trusting and depending on the visual blessing instead of the unseen BLESSOR. When we do this, we are leaving the SPIRIT and journeying towards the flesh.

iv.) We get too comfortable. Affliction and trouble have their role in keeping us dependent on The LORD. A righteous man falls seven times but The LORD raises him up. Asa was comfortable for a long time, 35 years, and when trouble came again, Asa seems to have forgotten where his strength came from and not only did he think he could do it by himself but he went ahead and did it.

v.) Pride. Too proud to beg, was part of Asa’s problem, also sometimes our problem. Lack of humility before The LORD. And we know the adage, pride comes before a fall. "Why should I pray?, HE is GOD , HE knows my problem" Such thoughts should be dealt with sooner rather than later. beloved, humble yourself before the LORD.