Then, a mighty army from Ethiopia came out against him. Having no previous warfare experience, he fell before the Lord, praying for deliverance. The Lord, hearing and honoring Asa's prayer and submission, routed the Ethiopian army and gave them into the hands of Judah.
Twenty-six years later, tensions with Israel began to rise. However, at this time, Asa, now having a wealth of experience under his belt and understanding strategies of warfare, sought the help of a nearby king by making a treaty with him. The treaty was enough to make Israel think twice, and they turned and left. Good move Asa, right? Wrong... A prophet from Lord harshly rebuked Asa, unearthing his reliance on his strategies over his reliance on the Lord. Enraged, Asa threw the prophet in prison. Three years later, Asa came down with a severe disease, and once again, "did not seek the Lord, but the physicians."
Leadership application? As a young leader myself, I find myself much like the young Asa. I feel as though I don't have much experience or knowledge, which makes me feel overwhelmed with the issues before me, which is used as the catalyst to draw me to my knees before the Lord. My fear? As I begin to gain knowledge and understanding, my felt dependence on the Lord will diminish.
Reliance on experience and knowledge should NEVER trump humble reliance on the Lord
When problems arise in certain areas, what is my initial response? Am I more inclined to use 15-minutes to read an article or seek an expert, or am I more inclined to spend 15-minutes in prayer before the Lord? Now, I'm obviously not saying books or experts are bad... we are stewards of what we've been given, and as such are responsible to do things in the most strategic way possible. However, it's an issue of reliance... what is it banking on?
Because here's the reality. There's always a better expert than the top expert, and that expert is the creator... or, thee Creator. I'd rather rely on the Creator of psychology than Dr. Phil. I'd rather rely on the Creator of anatomy than the Mayo clinic. And I'd rather rely on the Creator of economy than Warren Buffet.
So, as I continue on this journey of ministry, seeking knowledge and wisdom from countless books and pastors, I need to be reminded that behind everything is the all-knowing and all-powerful God. Continually, I need to stop myself and say, "Don't pull an Asa!"
2 comments:
Good post! :) I was pleasantly surprised... not that I didn't already know you're a great communicator, it's just that I was originally expecting that 'Asa' was a foreign/technical word for the muscle you pulled! ;P
This is crazy that you would write about this! The Lord used this very story about King Asa in HUGE ways in my life during my summer in 4J...what a coincidence that He would know use it in yours!
You are missed friend - thanks for writing these, it helps those of us back home feel closer to you!
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