Trust

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

TRUST

1 Kings 15:16-24

16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. 18 Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the LORD's temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 19 "Let there be a treaty between me and you," he said, "as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me." 20 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah — no one was exempt — and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah. 23 As for all the other events of Asa's reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. 24 Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.

NIV

Although we are told that King Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and that his heart was fully committed to God, he was still a man and subject to the ways of the world. When Baasha, the king of Israel, went up against Judah, Asa made a major mistake in going to Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram. He trusted in a foreign king for help instead of the LORD. We know from the annals of the Kings' Chronicles that Asa oppressed his people; no one was exempt.  But it was this gift of gold and silver to Ban-Hadad to encourage him to break his treaty with Baasha and attack him. The lesson we learn here is that we should always trust in God rather than in the world. We do live in this world, just as Asa did, and he relied on it for the necessities of life, such as food, clothing, housing, and money; however, we are supposed to rely on God to supply all we need of the necessities of life. By looking to the Lord for all we need, we will be doing what is right in the Lord's eyes. However, when we look at the world as Asa did, we could face difficulties we should not have to face. How did Asa go from doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD to doing what was wrong in the eyes of the LORD? Is that just the way of humanity? Are we subject to that same kind of mistake? It is more than a divided heart, which is bad enough and does not please the Lord, but to change the direction of our heart, and look straight at the world for our wants, while maybe just giving God a little lip service, is just as mistaken as Asa was. We need to be fully committed to trusting the Lord with our lives, seeking him first, for all our direction, help, provisions, and everything from his hand. Asa trusted a king, we trust The King.