Am I Not your Confidence?

Hey! Guess who is back!

Outfit deets: All items thrifted.

If They We Were Us Series

King Asa

Of the many things I have had to repent over in my life, doubt has got to be the biggest culprit.

Doubt looks like knowing God can do everything except what seems impossible in your situation. Doubt looks like wondering whether God will ever come through for you. Doubt looks like a safety net while in fact it is the blade that cuts through the net, letting loose all the fish that were caught in faith.

Our focus today is on a character that is mentioned less than 5 times in the entire bible. But the beauty in the Word of God is that the ENTIRE Bible, (not just our favorite verses) is God-filled and serves a divinely greater purpose than we can imagine (2 Tim 3:16-17).

King Asa rose up as King of Judah between 913–910 BC and 873–869 BC. He pleased God and as a result, he had great favor and found rest on every side. Now, y’all, I know this sounds like a simple statement but in those days, finding ‘rest on every side’ was an extreme privilege at a time when war and trouble was the hallmark of a king’s power and dominion. Conquest was the word and the sword was the tool of transaction.

In the Bible, very few Judaic/Israelite kings are recorded to have enjoyed ‘rest on every side’. So it must have been a big deal. What is more interesting to note is that this rest was recorded to be a direct result of obedience to God and leading of the people to true worship.

Anyway, brotherman is doing a great job and God is enjoying the restoration of true worship and tearing down of the Asherah poles and temples of Baal. All until Zorah from the Cushites comes in ready to deal King Asa a major blow. He comes in with such a vast number of fighting men and chariots that Asa almost withdraws in fear. With less than a fraction of men and no recorded chariots, King Asa cries out to God for victory. He said, “Lord, you can help a weak army (them) as easily as a powerful one…In your name we have come out to fight against this huge army..Lord, you are our God; no one can hope to defeat you.” (2 Chr 14:11)

Do we need a guess at what happened? They won! Against all odds. Against what man can say is literally impossible. (Insert hollering and tamborines.)

So where did Asa burn the image? (Direct Translation from Kiswahili Slang. I am shady. I am so sorry.)

Baasha (King of Israel who is Judah’s enemy at this time because, drama), rose up to do his business to fortify a city called Ramah. This essentially meant that Asa and his people would be unable to freely move around- call it a lock in. So, daddy-o went and formed an unholy alliance with a shared enemy, king of Aram, Ben-Hadad. He joined hands with Ben Hadad so that together, they intimidated Baasha into stopping his project. This was largely successful except for one fact. He left God out. In an ironically smaller conquest, God was loudly absent in Asa’s efforts to secure his kingdom.

God certainly was not happy and so He sent a prophet (Hanani) to speak to Asa. In summary, God was disappointed in Asa because he depended on Him with all he had when he had a vast army against him yet when there was a little insecurity around him, he sought a man to help him and not the same God who delivered him. God seemed to cry out, “Wait. Am I not your confidence?”

As a consequence, Asa perished; a king surrounded by war and disease.

It may be easy to judge Asa but how many times do you surrender to a challenge and seek your way? A way that may seem right to you. A way that makes logical sense-and yet leave out the God who empowers you to do great exploits? How many times does the fear of the unseen drive you into grieving the God of both the seen and unseen?

Is God not your confidence?

Side Bar:

Ain’t God good? I took a one month break from active social media ministry to solidify my off-line ministry to my loved ones. I am back. I feel refreshed. I sense a new wave of the move of God. I believe a shift is falling upon this ministry and you too, if you believe and move by faith!

Also, I wrote a 30 day devotional! Isn’t God good? Wow. He blows my mind EVERY TIME. Catch it here! Or, here!