10-8-23 Willisburg Bulletin
This past week I was studying for a ladies bible class lesson and the story of King Asa was mentioned. He started off as a great king, one that obeyed God. He removed foreign alters, cut down idols and did all He could do to seek God. His example helped to lead the people to seek God and they were able to have a peaceful and prosperous time of over 30 years. However, as time went on, in Asa’s 36th year reign, it was evident that his zeal for God had vanished when the battle was brewing. He no longer looked to God for answers. He was seeking his own plan. Which sounds crazy and we would think, why in the world would someone do that, but honestly we do too. How often do you find yourself frantic over situations or stressed about certain things in life? Then when you looked back at those times, you realize God was the last resort, right? It happens all the time. King Asa’s life started wonderfully with a relationship with God, but ended in a tragedy. As a new Christian, it’s easy to be on fire for the Lord and want to tell everyone you are saved and lead others to the Word, but what about in that 36th year? Has worship services become a dreaded event? Has pray become a here and there type of response? Has seeking God become a last resort and you only turn to Him when you need help or don’t know what else to do?Have you left the world take over areas in your life? Have you become numb to the sin lying around you? Do you even do your bible lessons anymore? Do your grab your phone instead of your Bible when you don’t have plans or are in the waiting room of the doctor’s office? Are you letting your faith fall by the wayside? We might not say yes to any of these, but I can say for myself, I can see where I’m lacking in my walk with God when I put it like that. Are you taking the reins of your faith and seeking God with your WHOLE heart or are we letting our zeal faint?
Who Is Your Seer?
King Asa ‘s leadership deteriorated when he began taking it upon himself to fight the battles, which did not please God. Therefore, Hanani rebuked him for his lack of relying on God (2 Chron 16:2-3). Which only made Asa mad. So mad, that he was enraged and threw Hanani into prison and brutally oppressed some of the people. How often do you get mad at your spouse or your parents when they point out something you are doing wrong? Or what about the attitude you were showing and your spouse kindly reminded you to calm down, but instead of heeding the warning, you got stubborn? What about when you are given criticism… Do you take it to better yourself or do you turn your emotions and unrighteous responses back on the one who was telling you, just like Asa did with Hanani? Maybe you don’t, but do you thank the criticizer? Honestly, we should because that’s their job as a Christian (James 5:20).
Do You Turn To God?
We hear lessons about making God be number one and seeking God first, but do we honestly sit down to think about it and actually do it? Matthew 6:33 says if we seek God first, everything else will line up. Think about when you lose your keys. How much seeking do you do? Your WHOLE heart and being would be searching, right? That’s how it HAS to be with God. We HAVE to seek God with the attitude of if I don’t, then I’m going to be lost forever. If we don’t have the sense of urgency, we will be lackadaisical in our relationship with God, in our service to God, and in our attitude about God. We must diligently seek God, we can’t let it be a thing where if we have time we will read our Bible or talk to God. Our day NEEDS to be encompassed by God and our desire to seek Him. We need to have a heart that desperately yearning to seek God because if we aren’t, we are actually seeking ourselves and what a sad story for our children and those around us to watch. Let us make it our aim to turn to God every day, for everything, in every way!
Consider God EVERYDAY!