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2 Chronicles Chapter 14 (ESV)
1 Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years. 2 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim 4 and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. 5 He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace. 7 And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered.
REFLECTION:
- In Asa’s days the land had rest because he “did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” This sentence is often repeated in the Chronicles – obeying God will lead to reconciliation with God and peace with others. It was God’s promise over the ages that when the kings obey God, their land will have rest. Meditate on this quietly. You don’t need to exhaust all your energy to strive for peace while all you need is to fully obey God. We may not be able to reconcile with our enemies by obeying God but we will definitely reconcile with God and enjoy the perfect peace in God’s kingdom in the future.
- Peaceful days is the opportunity to prepare for facing the next challenge. Prosperity not only allows us to rest but also be prepared for danger in times of peace. Asa believed that the peaceful period was a good opportunity for building up defence as it would be too late when attack was near. Unless we are always prepared, we will face much difficulties when we withstand spiritual attacks at any time. When we feel that we cannot resist temptation, we should think of how to face it calmly. Before the test comes, we need to build up the defence system. Reflect whether you are in a smooth-going period. How will you prepare yourself for the challenges to come?
PRAYER:
Ask God to help you to be alert and diligent so that you can prepare for future challenges in smooth-going times. Ask God to give you obedience to reconcile with God and with others not to please people but to please God.
HYMN:
“Prince of Peace” – www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc0DKzPdv44
