Asa - Heart that Seeks God

One of my kids’ favorite games to play is hide and seek.  Especially at a younger age, my kids love it when I hide somewhere in the house and have them try to seek me out.  Interestingly, when I play hide and seek with my kids the goal is NOT to stay hidden.  The exciting part of hide and seek for me and my kids is when they find me.  I’m pretty sure if I really wanted to hide and not be found I could do it.  I could stay in my hiding spot for hours while my kids are seeking me out and destroy the fun by never revealing where I was at.  If I did that eventually my kids would get angry begin yelling at me to reveal myself.  Hide and seek is the most fun when my kids are seeking me and I reveal myself to them at just the right moment when they are least expecting it.  When I reveal myself they scream, squeal, and run away with joyful excitement.  Seeking for something that is impossible to find is not anyone’s idea of an enjoyable time!  None of us would be interested in seeking God if He could not be found . . . the good news is, God is not interested in staying hidden either.

READ:  2 Chronicles 14:1-7; 15:1-15

God REVEALS Himself to us when we SEEK Him!  The story of king Asa teaches us something important about the presence of God in our lives; if we do not seek God, He will remain hidden, but if we do seek God, He is always there waiting to be found.  God is not cruel, intentionally hiding somewhere He cannot be found.  He is patiently waiting to be found by hearts of those who are wholly seeking Him.  When we seek Him, we will not just find Him, He will find us!   What do we learn about seeking God from king Asa?

1.  Seeking God gives COURAGE to demolish IDOLS in our lives (14:3-5; 15:8) – King Asa acted on God’s presence in his life by getting rid of the false gods that the people of Israel were worshipping.  Not only were the people of Israel not seeking God, they were seeking false gods.  King Asa identified the sin of idolatry among God’s people and boldly stood up to them by removing these places of worship to foreign gods.  When we seek God, He will reveal Himself to us by making us aware of the idols that we are worshipping in our lives.  Be ready and be courageous, seeking God will bring a holy conviction into our lives that will leave us no choice but to confront our sin and destroy it.

2.  Seeking God is an act of our WHOLE SELVES (15:12-15, 17) – King Asa committed himself and the people of Israel to a sold out 100% pursuit of God.  This was no casual commitment, anyone who did not whole-heartedly seek the Lord was to be put to death!  Half-heartedly seeking God is not acceptable.  When we seek God we must do it with every fiber of our being.  Seeking God is not a one hour commitment on a Sunday morning or a Wednesday night.  Seeking God involves all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength . . . do you get the picture?  EVERYTHING, our whole selves (Mk. 12:30)! 

3.  Seeking God leads to REST and PEACE (14:1, 6-7, 15:15) – Who is it who gave king Asa and the people of Israel rest and peace?  Rest and peace did not come as a result of the effort and courage of king Asa and the people of Israel, rest and peace were given by God.  When Zerah the Ethiopian confronted king Asa with a million man army, 2 Chron. 14:12 says that, “the Lord defeated the Ethiopians”.  We cannot produce rest and peace for ourselves.  True rest and peace can only be found as we seek God.  Only when our whole selves are relying on God, and nothing else, can we experience a rest and peace that is beyond understanding (Phil 4:6-7).  When we seek God He gives us the assurance that He is the One who is going to supply the victory, removing the burden from us, and placing it wholly on Himself.

CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ is a King who SEEKS!  In John 5:30 Jesus said, “I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me.”  Jesus was constantly seeking to be with His Father and do His will.  By seeking His Father, Jesus was continually able to overcome sin and experience perfect rest and peace.  Not only is Jesus seeking His Father, but He is seeking you and I as well.  In Luke 19:10 Jesus said, “(I) The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  If you think seeking God is a never-ending game of hide and seek, remember, when you seek Him with your whole heart you WILL find Him, . . . because He will reveal Himself to you!