It’s one of those “head scratcher” sorts of stories. One of those accounts of someone who started out so well and finished so poorly. If the summary of King Asa’s life had only been 2Chronicles 14 and 15, you’d finish reading it saying, “Right on! Good on you King Asa! Way to seek the Lord. Way to lead your people!” Unfortunately, the story goes on to 2Chronicles 16 and the words spoken to Asa by Azariah, son of Obed, through the Holy Spirit ring so true, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you” (2Chron. 15:2).

In 2Chronicles 14 Asa finds himself confronted by the army of Ethiopia, one million men strong. Asa is outnumbered two to one. What does he do? Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, “LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You . . . ” (2Chron. 14:11). Fast forward about 25 years, and this time, when he and his nation are laid siege by another enemy, Asa decides to go it alone . . . to rely on his own resources and resourcefulness. Rather than cry out to the Lord, he uses his own accumulated wealth to buy his way out of trouble. It works, the danger is removed, the problem is solved . . . right? . . . not so right. God then sends a prophet to Asa to rebuke him, ” . . . you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God” (16:7).

And the prophet’s admonition continues, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those who heart is loyal to Him.” (16:9)

Now that’s a truth that transcends time and circumstance.

My God is a proactive God. He is locked and loaded on those whose hearts are loyal to Him and He is scanning earth’s goings on, looking for opportunity to show Himself strong on His people’s behalf. How amazing is that?

Ours is not some passive, detached God . . . One who we have to “wake up” with much shouting . . . not One whose interest we need to try to capture through feeble works that we hope will merit His attention. No, ours is to seek Him with a loyal heart. The promise is that for those who long to be with Him, He will be with them. The assurance is that if we will seek, He will be found. The warning though is that when we forsake Him, when we start relying on ourselves or others, He will respect our wishes and remove Himself and let us go it on our own.

Oh, to think of God hunched over heaven’s balcony . . . keenly observing the affairs of men . . . eyes scanning north and south, east and west . . . actively tracking those whose hearts are totally His . . . looking for opportunity to show Himself . . . to make known His presence . . . to reveal something of His grace and power . . . such thoughts are really beyond fully comprehending. Beyond comprehension perhaps, but not beyond believing. That’s my God!

Mine is to, as much as lies within me, seek to have such a heart. A heart totally committed to Him. A heart which owns Him as not only Savior but Lord. A heart set on pilgrimage . . . a heart set on a lifelong journey of growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ . . . of seeking first the kingdom of God . . . of walking in a manner worthy of His calling. And then to know that God’s eyes are scanning the earth, tracking those with such a heart, that He might reveal Himself to them from time to time . . . that they might know the strong God of heaven . . . that they might witness His intervention and leading in their lives . . . that they might then lift their eyes to heaven and praise Him and give all glory to Him.

What a great God!