2
Chronicles 14 describes two very different kinds of peace. After
King David, Israel’s kings had gotten progressively more
rebellious. Until we read, “Asa
did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God“.
His first focus was to aggressively remove the distractions of
idolatry. “He
removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred
stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek
the Lord… and to obey His laws and commands…. and the kingdom was
at peace under him… He built up the fortified cities of Judah,
since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those
years“.
First we see an absence of war, but notice this was outward change
was a result of the inner peace of the king. “For
the Lord gave him rest“.
Some people ascribe to the “Fake it until you make it”
philosophy, which as I understand it, means if you act right
outwardly, and you will form behaviors that force internal changes.
That might work short term, but lasting change happens from the
inside-out. Inner peace comes when our spirit is in fellowship with
God’s Holy Spirit.
It
is interesting to note that even while there was peace, he prepared
the nation in anticipation of future attack. “Let
us build up these towns, and put walls around them, with towers,
gates and bars.”
The king explains, “The
land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we
sought Him and He has given us rest on every side.”
“So
they built and prospered“.
It is important to point out that God is not against the success that
comes from hard work! Eventually, the nation became a target or the
enemy, but they were ready. “Asa
had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah… and two
hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin… All these were brave
fighting men.”
We read, “Zerah
the Cushite marched out against them with a vast army“.
And they were extremely well armed. Under pressure and stress, we
see the true inner man. Before reacting, “Asa
called to the Lord his God“.
I believe we need more than just an awareness of God; we need the
faith to trust He will intercede. Romans 10:17 reminds us how to
increase our faith, “So
then faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God“.
Simply put, the more we read God’s Word, the more we learn to trust
His promises.
Asa
prayed, “Lord,
there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty.
Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on You, and in Your Name… O
Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against you“.
What a humble prayer! I can’t help be notice his focus is on God,
not himself. I would have asked for strength, or courage, but Asa
simple asked God to help. And the result was a complete victory,
“The
Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites
fled, and Asa and his army pursued them… Such a great number of
Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before
the Lord and His forces“.
Amazingly, it appears the army of the Lord fought the battle. But
notice who received the blessings, “The
men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder… Then they
returned to Jerusalem“.
Do you have a battle ahead? Do you need peace? Call on the Name of
the Lord for help! “Be
anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 4:6-7).