2 Chronicles 16:1-18:27
The eyes of the Lord
‘God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him’ (16:9, MSG).
Hanani the seer came to Asa, King of Judah, and said to him that he was in trouble because he had ceased to rely fully on the Lord (vv.7–9). ‘For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him’ (v.9).
God sees everything you do. He is looking for those whose ‘hearts’ are ‘fully committed’ to him. The ‘eyes of the Lord’ see into your heart. Are you living wholeheartedly for him?
Asa, who had done so well for most of his life, in the last years, ‘even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord but only from the physicians’ (v.12). There is nothing wrong with getting help from the medical profession. He is not criticised for seeking help from the physicians. He is criticised for not seeking help from the Lord.
His son, Jehoshaphat’s ‘heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord’ (17:6). Again, he started very well. ‘He didn’t fool around... he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him... He was single-minded in following God; and he got rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines’ (vv.3–6, MSG).
He was tested by the fact that 400 prophets all had a ‘lying spirit’ (18:21). Only Micaiah, son of Imlah, had the courage to speak truth to power. The devil is a deceiver. In an age when there is no shortage of voices to hear, we need the discernment of God not to be fooled by deception but to listen carefully to those who, like Micaiah, say, ‘As sure as God lives, what God says, I’ll say’ (v.13, MSG).
Lord, I thank you that your eyes ‘range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed’ to you (16:9). Please, strengthen me as I recommit myself to serve you wholeheartedly.
Sent from my SM-A715F using
JamiiForums mobile app