A Loyal Heart

 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.  2 Chronicles 16:9

What does the Lord require of you? He does not require sacrifice and outward displays of religion. He requires a loyal heart. To obey is better than sacrifice. God is looking for those whose hearts are loyal to him. 2 Chronicles 16 is centered around the life of a king whose heart was loyal to God, but something changed in his last days. 

King Asa was a good guy. The great grandson of Solomon, he spent the first 36 years of his 41-year reign establishing Judah as a place of God. According to 2 Chronicles 14:3, “For he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.” Good job, Asa. After 10 years of peace, Zerah the Ethiopian came up against Judah. The Ethiopian army outnumbered Judah 2:1. So Asa called upon the name of the Lord for his deliverance and God honored his loyalty. Against all odds, Asa and his army of 580,000 men beat Zerah’s army of 1,000,000 and 300 chariots.

Asa continued to walk in loyalty to the Lord throughout his reign, until Baasha the king of Israel came against Judah. King Asa, whose previous victory against the Cushite army escaped him, did not call upon the name of the Lord.

So, he was not successful.

Not exactly.

In fact, Asa commissions the king of Aram to fight go against Israel and Baasha and his army retreats. Asa was successful even though he did not call upon the name of the Lord.

It is possible to be successful even when doing the wrong thing. Success may come in sin and deceit, but the Lord looks for those whose heart is loyal to Him. Eventual ruin awaits those who turn away from the Lord.

The Lord is gracious. Even after Asa fought without consulting God, Hanani the seer or prophet is sent to give a second chance for Asa to turn to God:

           

“ 'Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians and the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” 2 Chronicles 16:7b-9

Asa could have responded in humility and accepted God’s grace, like his great, great grandfather David who repented sorrowfully after doing a terrible deed. Sadly, Asa’s response is so tragic,

“Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time." 16:10

The Lord is looking for those who are loyal to Him. This does not mean that you will do everything perfect. God’s grace is greater than the worst of sins. King David was not perfect by any means. He lied, cheated, adulterated, and murdered. Yet, when Nathan the prophet comes to correct him, David’s heart is broken within him and he cries the words:

            Have mercy on me, O God,
                           according to your unfailing love… Psalm 51:1

David was not perfect, but he was a man after God’s own heart. He had a loyal heart.

Turn to God. He is looking for those whose heart is loyal through good times and bad times, through young age and old age. Asa had a terrible end. He was diseased in his feet and died a cruel king. That is not the best life God intended for Asa.

Be loyal. Turn to Him in every circumstance. He is searching.

Blessings,

Robert Furrow