Strengthened!

Strengthened!

2 Chronicles 15:7 AMPC

[7] Be strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak and slack, for your work shall be rewarded.

Two men are presented in the context of the verse above, and these are Azariah, son of Oded the prophet, and Asa, son of Abijah, the king of Judah. One was quite popular, because he belonged to the lineage of the kings of Judah, who were descendants of David, the man after God's heart. The other was a prophet, of which not much was known or recorded in the bible, except the facts about his father, and his calling. We are all called by God into different offices as well as assignments at different times in our lives, but the one thing that must underpin what we do and how we do it, is our total dependence and surrender to the One who calls and equips a man the right way for the right kind of service. Both prophet and king met at some point, and both had to tap into the resources that only God could have made available. Have you met this God?

Asa became king, and having watched his father Abijah depend on God for victory in war, he had examples to emulate. He had also seen the same father marry fourteen wives and have several sons and daughters, so he also knew the dangers of distraction and a loss of focus. Here he was, sure that the worship of God had to be entrenched in the land of Judah, but not sure how he would set about doing it. It was said about the land of Judah at the time that there was much idolatry in the land, with men following idols and other strange gods. Of course, God punished them for their rebellion and gave them over to their enemies. It must be noted that God has no favourites when it comes to sin, but He will surely punish sin, no matter in whom it is found. Let no man toy with sin, as it was in the case of the people of Israel. We know how God dealt with them, and scattered them throughout the nations. 

It was in this context that Azariah the prophet was inspired by the Spirit of God to encourage the king. The message was simple: "The Lord is with you as long as you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. If you forsake Him, He will also forsake you." It is not a message that men want to hear, but it is the right message for such a time as this. Men are constantly seeking validation from the wrong sources; seeking help from sources that cannot help. However, God does not leave any man in doubt as to his standards, and He would have us seek His will and pursue it wholeheartedly. Whatever I do for God will be rewarded, just as whatever I do against God's revealed desire will also be duly punished. Know God's mind and focus on doing His will, no matter how unpopular the pursuit is. His reward is for those who do His will, not those who just get busy. Are you sure that your current pursuit lines up with the will of God? Be sure. God's time of favour is here.