The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Obed. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach, and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them . . . ” 2 Chronicles 15: 1-4, NIV.
Most Gracious God, today as we come before Your throne, to sit and learn at Your feet, we ask that Your Holy Spirit will open our eyes to our true condition, and help us to find our peace in You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
God is only a prayer away. That is as true as it is simple. God wants to be in touch with us. He is always seeking ways to get our attention. The interesting detail, is that the only reason God is doing what He is doing is because He loves us! The need God has for seeking us, is based upon His love. God loves us so much, that He finds it hard to give us up! Perhaps from the sound of the text, it would appear that God is indifferent to His creatures, “If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” And we translate this into human terms. “I will only try to get as close to you as you try to get to Me.” But that is not the way it is with God! What God is doing, is simply respecting our rights! I know you have heard me say this before. It is the truth. As painful as it is for God to let go of us, if we ask Him to, He will.
As we look around us, we will recognize in the situation described in our Scripture, one that is similar to the situation in which we find ourselves today. Many are doing what we feel like doing, without regard for the will of God. It has been a long time since we have experienced a true, and lasting, revival, in many communities of faith. Christians, in many aspects, have departed from God, from His teachings, and from His law. We have sown seeds of lawlessness, and yet we expect to reap a harvest of righteousness. But the Word of God reminds us, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6: 7-9, NIV).
“But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.” That is the God I serve! We can never go where His grace cannot reach us! His ears will always be attentive to the sound of our cry. We will never be outside the range of His loving touch! It is amazing how, despite our culture, creed, or color, humankind has so much in common. For most of us, it is usually in our “distress” that we “turn to the LORD!” So it was with Israel. Time and again, they wandered away from God. Time and time again, they sought the LORD in their distress, and again and again, God heard them, and rescued them.
Many, who depart from the ways of the LORD, are usually not too anxious to hear what His Word has to say, for fear that they might hear a message of doom. That is a plan of the evil one to keep us from going to the very source of peace, where we can receive a message of hope; a message that will show us the way back to the Savior. It is interesting to note that, “When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Obed the prophet, he took courage” (2 Chronicles 15: 8a). If we can only remember, that God’s objective is to save us, then we will not fall for the deceptions of the evil one. One of the truths to which we can cling at all times, and in all situations, is that, God’s love for us, will always be greater than our sins! And when we seek Him in sincerity, we will find Him!