Seeking Man's Help Instead of God's

Reading about King Asa's last years is rather sad. We see in the previous chapter that he tore down the poles and altars to false gods. He seemed zealous in serving the Lord. But what happened in his latter years? Why did he stop relying on God and instead try to seek a peace agreement with a foreign king?

This part from II Chronicles 16 is good:

⁷ At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war."

Asa was confronted with his sin! Instead of having a heart like David and repenting and turning to God, see what he did.

¹⁰ Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

Thus the tale of Asa ends in this sad way.

¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. ¹³ Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his fathers.

You would think his suffering would cause him to turn to God and beg for mercy. But did he have a hard heart and simply forget about God's goodness to him? He sought help only from doctors.

I found this passage sad. How often do I forget or refuse to seek help from the Lord because I trust in man's wisdom?

Makes me think. I want God's eyes to find my heart fully devoted to him (see vs. 9 above).