Rely On the LORD Your God

At that time the seer Hanani came to King Asa of Judah, and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Aram, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped you. Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with exceedingly many chariots and cavalry? Yet because you relied on the LORD, he gave them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the entire earth, to strengthen those whose heart is true to him. You have done foolishly in this; for from now on you will have wars.” Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the stocks, in prison, for he was in a rage because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties on some of the people at the same time.

The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe; yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians. Then Asa slept with his ancestors, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. They buried him in the tomb that he had hewn out for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier that had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer’s art; and they made a very great fire in his honor.

2 Chronicles 16:7-14

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken photos of the Helix Nebula. Some believe it is a trillion mile long tunnel of glowing gases that leads us back to the beginning of time. Remarkable photos of it look like the blue iris of a human eye complete with eyelids. Some have called it the “Eye of God.” Although this nebula is not literally the eye of God, the Scriptures do talk about the gaze of God on our lives.

Asa had seemingly forgotten that it was the Lord God, not mere soldiers, who had given him past victories. This spiritual disloyalty did not escape the notice of God, who seeks to pour out blessing on acts of obedience to Him.

Although we cannot see the eyes of God, we can be assured that He sees us. His desire is to show Himself strong to those who are loyal to Him with their whole heart.

To know that God sees us

brings both conviction and comfort.

Our Daily Bread – August 10, 2008