Coffee With The Lord

It’s not enough to start strong in a race (or any athletic competition). On more than one occasion we’ve seen leads evaporate, a competitor stumble and fall, or someone violate the rules of competition and be disqualified.

Asa, king of Judah, is a case study in the problem as it relates to godly leadership. Every year in my Bible reading when I review his story I grimace a bit. Just last week I read the uplifting account of his leadership in 2 Chronicles 14-15… So encouraging! In fact, I finished my post regarding him by saying we need more national leaders like Asa!

Then, in the very next chapter – 2 Chronicles 16 – I find myself disappointed, disillusioned and grieving…

After achieving an incredible victory in an impossible situation when the armies of Judah were greatly outnumbered through prayer and dependence on God… after many years of godly leadership with God’s blessing… Asa failed! Asa depended on “the arm of flesh” rather than the power of God! Asa behaved in a rebellious and tyrannical manner!

God sent Hanani, the prophet to Asa and said to him, “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 SUPORT TO THOSE WHOSE HEART IS BLAMELESS TOWARD HIM!

“Then Asa was anygry with the prophet and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at this time.

“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease HE DID NOT SEEK THE LORD, but sought help from the physicians.” (From 2 Chronicles 16 ESV)

I’ve got to tell you… I don’t only want to start strong – I want to finish strong. I’m tired of seeing seasoned leaders cave in, goof up, do something sinful and stupid, and ruin what should have been a story of sustained, strong, Spiritual leadership. O God, may I make Apostle Paul’s resolve my own… “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it…I discipline my body and keep it under control, last after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified!” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) Help me Lord!I

I admit it… I don’t know many wealthy people. In fact I had to think quite a while to identify a couple of people that could be called “wealthy” (or “filthy rich”) that I know personally – the kind of people that really have to think about ways to spend all their money. But I did finally come up with a couple of people I know like that.

When I think about them and my acquaintance with them there were a couple of observations I made and conclusions I drew. First of all, their money has not made them any happier or at peace then the rest of us. Facts are, my conversations with them revealed that they have a whole set of problems of their own – some very much like the rest of us, others unique to their situation. Some of their problems you wouldn’t want (probably, some of them you secretly wish you had). Their kids can make terrible decisions and completely embarrass them (or even self-destruct). Their marriages can be unhappy and end in messy divorces. A 4-million dollar home and a couple of Rolls Royces does not spell “happiness,” “fulfillment,” “peace,” or “satisfaction.”

Here’s what Solomon, who many feel wrote Ecclesiastes, had to say about it…

“I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself!” But this also was vanity. I said of pleasure, ‘What use is it?’ … I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards… I made myself gardens and parks, and planted all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools from which to water the growing trees… I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who been before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines (i.e. mistresses), the delight of the children of man. So I became great and surpassed all who were before me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure… Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.” (from Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)

Pleasure, stuff, sex, money, and toys do not satisfy the deep needs and desires of the heart. The Lord does! Following Him is “free of charge” but demands everything we are and have. We were made for Him! An old gospel song says, “Only Jesus can satisfy your soul!” Jesus declared, “I am come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) If you don’t have much, but have the Lord… You’re incredibly blessed! If you have a lot of money and don’t have the Lord you are ultimately poverty stricken. If you have a lot of money and are using it for noble means and Kingdom purposes, God bless you and may what your stewardship and generosity accomplishes be deeply satisfying!”

Just finished reading 2 Chronicles 14-15… Gotta say, we need leaders like Asa, king of Judah, in government today – and we need them badly!!

Here’s what the Bible says about him…

“Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord, his God… He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandments… He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace… He said to Judah, ‘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.’

Even when they faced conflict from an overwhelming enemy of incredible size and power… “Asa cried to the Lord his God, ‘O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude! O Lord, you are our God! Let not man prevail against you!’ So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

“And they (Judah and king Asa) entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their hear and with all their soul … and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around… The heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all of his days.” (From 2 Chronicles 14-15 ESV)

God give us more national leaders in our world like Asa! Deeply committed to high ethical principles, unapologetically devoted to the Lord, determined to honor and embrace the teaching of God’s word, deeply dependent on Him to govern and ready to pray fervently for help in any national crisis.