Remember THIS When You Need to Fight the Drift

I’m learning a lot about running lately—not because I’ve been running myself, but because several of my sons have been training for marathons and relays, and I overhear them as they compare notes. It goes without saying that the point of the race is to finish, and, with solid training beforehand and good effort on the day of the race, they hope to finish well.

That is my hope, too, in this sixth decade of life. I’ve been grateful for the friendship of godly women who have finished well, serving the Lord and growing in grace to the end of their days. And, sadly, I’ve witnessed those whose final years were spent in selfish pursuits and bitter ruminations.

Scripture gives us both views as well. There’s Caleb, full of unquenchable optimism at age 85, asking Joshua for the hill country because he can’t think of anything he’d rather do than fight giants and glorify God by conquering the land of promise.

And then there’s King Asa. Last week, we noted how he stood strong against evil in a time when Israel had become a religious crazy quilt of idolatry, superstition, and waywardness. He was a glimmer of light in a very dark time. Sadly, though, Asa turned his face away from the Lord and began looking to the surrounding nations for deliverance.

When Hanani, the seer, confronted Asa, he landed in the stocks and in prison for his trouble, but his words to the king are worth pondering today as we commit ourselves to fighting the drift toward faithless living:

Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you.  Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” 
(2 Chronicles 16:7-9)

What can we learn from King Asa’s failure?

First, remember God’s faithfulness in the past. Hanani reminded King Asa that God had defeated huge armies on behalf of Israel. Perhaps Asa was feeling his age, wondering if he had another battle in him? Even so, God had not become weakened.

Like King Asa, we may have memories of God’s valiant deliverance in the past: the week of VBS we survived and still managed to feed our family dinner every night, the challenging relationship drama that almost split your church, or the way God rescued your marriage from the midlife doldrums. God has not changed or become less potent. If you rely on him, he can still defeat the “chariots and horsemen” that tempt you to fear or give up.

Remember God’s faithfulness in the past. Remember God wants to give you strong support today. (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Tweet

Second, remember that God wants to give you “strong support” today. Hanani assured King Asa that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” I’m smiling at our tendency to put this verse on couch pillows and coffee mugs when Hanani’s next words place it in the context of a blistering indictment: “You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”   

God’s “strong support” comes to those who have committed themselves to obedience. For the soldier, the servant, or the child, obedience is the first order of business, and we inhabit all three of these roles in our relationship to God. If we commit ourselves to a life of obedience no matter what, we certainly can expect God’s “strong support.”

The truth is that as we age, we are discovering aches and pains we didn’t have before. We tire more easily and even suffer from bouts of afternoon apathy when a soft chair and a quick nap sound more enticing than anything that might promote spiritual formation. It might be tempting to turn to Netflix or Amazon Prime instead of our Revelation Bible study or to get lost in a cozy romance novel instead of opening our prayer journal.

God has given us the crash-and-burn stories of the Old Testament as cautionary tales. We can read and rejoice that a Savior came in the flesh and lived the righteous life King Asa (and we!) could never manage on our own. He took our sin upon himself and has declared us righteous. God’s eyes now see us as “blameless toward him” through the power of the Gospel. Thanks be to God for his strong support, offered to us by his Spirit, in our fight against the drift!

God’s eyes see us as “blameless toward him” through the power of the Gospel. Thanks be to God for his strong support, offered to us by his Spirit, in our fight against the drift!

Tweet

Holding You in the Light,

Have You Read the Latest Newsletter?

---

Now on the Bible App!

Grief comes to everyone sooner or later, and whether it’s the death of a loved one or the loss of some cherished aspect of our life or identity, God’s Word is crucial for grieving well. Past hurts have a habit of snagging our hearts in unexpected moments, but God provides abundant grace to help the believer move through grief without getting stuck and without wasting the opportunity to walk more closely with the Lord who lightens our darkness.

As you know, I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path. At Living Our Days, I provide biblical content and resources to encourage biblical literacy and faithful living, and now I’m sharing devotional content on the YouVersion app. Visit my profile page to get free access to all the reading plans!

---

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate, which means that whenever you purchase a book I’ve shared here through the link I provide, I’ll receive a very small commission. It doesn’t cost you more, and I only share books here that I can wholeheartedly recommend.

Photo by Smithsonian on Unsplash