Wheat Harvest Magazine

08/12/2024

Mark was a man driven by purpose. Growing up in poverty, he vowed his family would never endure the struggles he faced. As a husband to Anna and father to Nicky and Sam, he worked tirelessly to build a successful contracting business. "I'm doing this for them," he'd tell himself whenever he missed a family dinner, a bedtime story, or a birthday. Though proud of Mark's hard work, Anna often felt the ache of his absence. Their children adored their father but rarely had his full attention. Birthdays were celebrated with presents but without his presence.

One December, Mark promised that Christmas would be different. He worked day and night to book an extravagant trip to a luxury cabin. As the trip approached, Mark became consumed with work, determined to finish every project and resolve every issue before leaving. By the time the family arrived at the cabin, Mark was exhausted. He spent the first two days sleeping and the next glued to his laptop. "Just a few more emails," he told Anna and the children, missing their sledding adventures and snowball fights.

"Look, Daddy! You can keep it on your desk!" Nicky beamed, holding up a handmade frame. Mark glanced up briefly, his phone still in hand. "That's wonderful, sweetheart. Thank you," he said before turning back to his screen. Nicky's smile faltered as she quietly placed the frame on the table.

Later that day, while the children played outside, Anna sat beside Mark. Her voice was calm but heavy with emotion. "Mark, we have everything we could ever need—except you. The kids don't care about this cabin or fancy gifts. They just want their father. I want my husband."

Mark nodded distractedly, promising he'd do better once things settled down. Deep down, he was convinced his hard work would be worth it. He wanted Nicky and Sam to attend the best schools, live in a big house, and have every opportunity he never had. He believed they would understand one day.

Years passed. The children grew up. Nicky chose to attend a community college, and Sam followed his passion and attended trade school. Neither pursued the expensive schools Mark had envisioned. They left to live their own lives. One quiet evening, Anna was sitting in the living room, flipping through a photo album filled with memories of the kids. She smiled softly at a picture of Nicky and Sam laughing. Mark walked in, curious, and peered over her shoulder.

"When was this?" he asked, squinting at the photo.

Anna didn't look up. "It was that summer we went to the lake," she replied simply.

Mark frowned. "I don't remember that." Anna turned the page, her silence a heavier response than any words could have been. For the first time, Mark felt a pang of regret that cut deeper than any business failure. He realized he had missed the best parts of life—his family. He had worked so hard to give his family everything, but he had denied them the one thing they truly needed—him.

Just as Mark's family desires his presence and attention, the Lord desires the same from us. He wants us—our hearts, our focus, and our time. The things we often value most, such as time, are what He longs for us to offer Him willingly.

Luke 10:38-42 recounts the story of two sisters, Martha and Mary, who interpreted the balance between time and service differently. The scripture states: "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.' And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.'"

The problem in this story is not that Martha is serving. Serving is good. Serving and being kingdom-minded is what we should all strive for. In the story, serving was not the issue. The issue was that Martha became distracted by her service and disconnected from worship. She allowed her work to replace her intimacy with the Lord. On the other hand, Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet and listen, prioritizing time in His presence. Spending with the Lord is always the better choice!

Let me say it yet again: engaging in ministry or acts of service is important, but it cannot substitute for personal time with God. True intimacy with Him comes through prayer, reading His Word, and listening to His voice. This is how we truly come to know Him—by building a relationship that goes beyond what we do for Him and focuses on who He is.

In any relationship, quality time is essential. Love cannot thrive without intentional moments spent together. We fulfill our daily responsibilities and even engage in work that serves others and honors the Lord, but we must still prioritize spending quality time with Him. It's not just about asking for things or rushing through a quick morning or nighttime prayer. The Lord desires a deeper connection—He wants us to desire and deliberately choose Him, not just the blessings He provides.

As we serve, it's important to consider our motives. Why do we serve? Some may serve because we are called to do it. Some may serve because being in service causes us to have a good feeling (natural endorphins) and gives us purpose. It is good to have a reason to serve. Whatever the reason, serving for recognition or self-glorification should not be in the equation. All glory belongs to God, not to us. The Bible declares in 1 Corinthians 10:31: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Similarly, Psalm 115:1 says, "Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness."

When we serve from a place of humility, we reflect God's heart. Pride is one of the most dangerous spiritual killers that Christians face. Often, it takes root, and we don't realize until our responses shock us. We must be vigilant, self-reflect, and ask the Lord to convict us with the truth or the reality, even when unpleasant. Let us strive to serve as an offering to the Lord, always keeping Jesus at the center. We cannot take any glory for ourselves because all glory belongs to Him. This truth must anchor our minds and hearts. There is no room for self-glorification and God-glorification to coexist. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum. As John the Baptist said in John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease." That must be our perspective always. Jesus is the center, the reason for everything we do. All that we do must be for His glory. When pride takes root, it destroys the true purpose of service.

Another consideration in service is balance, particularly with family. Like Mark, we can become so absorbed in serving others that we neglect our loved ones. While we may bring many to the Lord through our service, our families are among our first ministries. Let us follow Jesus' example of balance. We must carve out time to serve, (time to) connect with our family and loved ones, and, of course, time to spend in the presence of our Savior.

Let us not become so busy "doing" that we fail to wait on God, listen to Him, and be guided by Him. When we serve from a place of deep connection with God, our service becomes a true act of worship, glorifying Him and blessing others. Let us continually seek His presence so that our service reflects His purpose.

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" (Psalm 63:1).

15/09/2024

When we first got married, we had plans of someday having children, but like many young couples, we thought we had time, so there was no need to rush into parenthood. About seven years into our marriage, my husband had a dream. In the dream, we had a little girl. He held her (up) to the Lord and asked, "What should we name her?" And a voice from heaven told him the name and said, she will be a light to the world. When he told me about the dream, I thought it was unusual, and the name he told me also sounded very unusual. When he shared the dream with our family and friends, they all laughed about the dream- not in a bad way. We all thought he had babies on his mind and went to sleep and dreamed it all up. Nevertheless, I banked the dream to memory and started researching the name, which did not exist. However, when I broke the name down into parts, it meant - "God is my light," "Devoted to God," and "Concealed by God."

I wrote down the meanings and left it alone. After that night, a few months later, I began to have some terrible stomach pains (pain like that I had never experienced in my life). I had to go to a specialist doctor, and that is when I realized that having children would never be easy. It would be almost impossible. I was alone and overseas (at the time), so I tried to finish what I was doing to get back home quickly. And there, I sought a second opinion. And yes, it was the same. The second medical opinion suggested an operation that would practically make it impossible for me to have children. We were devastated, but as we walked out of the doctor's office, the dream my husband had years ago came to my mind. For the first time, I saw it as a promise from God instead of a mere dream, so I held on to it.

Days turned to weeks. Weeks to months and months to years. During this period, people would say very hurtful things: "You are so selfish; why don't you just give your husband a child?"; "All you care about is your goals and career"; or, "You don't want to have children because you don't want to ruin your body." None of these were true and were not anyone's business. Those words were so painful to hear, but I never addressed them. I never said anything about the difficulties we were facing; I just kept holding onto faith.

But sometimes, I did get weary and felt like the promise would never happen. In fact, at times, I even doubted whether or not it was a promise from God or whether it was my desire. The line (at times) became blurry. Is it my will or God's will? Was the dream a promise from God, or did I hold on to it for my peace of mind? And many more years passed by, and finally, I gave up. I remember saying to my husband, "Haven't we got a great life together? Aren't we happy? I am okay if we never have children." And I remember he looked at me with such hope and said, "We will have a child because God gave us a promise." I never could understand how he could remain so faithful when I had nothing else to hold on to.

In the eleventh year of our marriage, we went on a fast, not for ourselves. We decided to fast for someone else. I remember that night, as we prayed and interceded for that young man who was battling a continuous drug addiction for so many years, we believed God to deliver him. And God did!

About a week after the fast, the young man went home. His family testified that he just showed up one day, and he was no longer on drugs. He had come home because he wanted to be clean. His family admitted him into a program to help him fully recover. God is faithful!

As the fast ended, my husband and I carried on. I remember, for the first time in my life, I heard an audible voice. I know God speaks in different ways to different people. But that night was the first time I started to hear an audible voice. And the voice said as clear as day, "Be intimate with your husband tonight. If you do so, you will conceive and have a child." To be very honest, of all the nights, that was perhaps the one night I was not interested in intimacy. We had just come off a fast, and I was more on spiritual cloud lines. But, conveniently enough, my husband approached me, and as I was about to say (maybe) tomorrow when the voice came back to me. The beautiful part about this is the same instructions that came to me had also come to my husband. He told me some time after. I went to the doctor after a few weeks because I wasn't feeling well. I just wasn't sure what was happening. The medical professional looked at my file, asked me (a series of) questions, and ran more tests. She returned after the results and said, "I know that this probably isn't the case, but let's run a pregnancy test to rule it out." I said sure. But I will be honest: I still had doubts, even after the dream. Even after the clear audible voice was heard, I still had doubts. And I pondered it all in my heart.

She returned to the room, asked a few more questions, and made some statements. Then she said, "You're pregnant!" She was so happy. I was ecstatic and grateful to God, but at the same time, I was shocked. God gave us the promise, but when it finally starts to reveal itself, the promise (itself) can be a shocker. We serve a God of possibilities, even when things seem impossible! I left that room in tears: happy, joyful, and shocked tears. My husband was outside waiting for me. He looked at me as I approached him. I didn't say anything. I think my facial expression was more of a shock. He just gave me a big hug and kept smiling. He wanted to know what was happening. But I still wasn't talking for a while. Then, as we walked, we briefly stopped, and I told him. He knew. He was so happy. He was acting so excited and crazy on the road. That's when he told me what he had heard the night. God had confirmed His word. He told us both. It is a good thing because (maybe) one of us would have decided not to obey. Obedience is so important.

Throughout the pregnancy, the medical professionals were unable to tell the gender. We did so many ultrasounds - but the gender of the baby was not showing via ultrasound. For whatever reason, her gender was concealed. The baby was always positioned, so they could not tell, but we knew. We knew the word of God was sure. She would be a girl. Everyone said we should (in case) buy neutral colors and think of possible boy names, just in case. But we knew she would be a girl. Our beautiful baby girl was born in the twelfth year of our marriage. Was the pregnancy easy? No. There were complications, but God is faithful, and He revealed His promise to us and showed His faithfulness to us in the tangible form of a child.

This morning, I lay down and thought, "What should I share?" And this came to me: Tell them about God's faithfulness. Tell them about a time in your life when God fulfilled His promise. No matter what is going on in your life, God is faithful. You may be battling fears and doubts, questioning whether or not the promise itself is from God, and pondering it all inside. I will be honest: I did, but God remained faithful even when I was not.

My encouragement to you today is this: keep listening to hear God's voice. Let us be obedient when He speaks and keep holding on to Him. He is faithful, merciful, gracious, loving, kind (and so much more). If you do not remember anything said today, remember that the God you serve is faithful, and He is a God who keeps His promises. II Corinthians 1:20 states, "For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding "Yes!" And through Christ, our "Amen" (which means "Yes") ascends to God for his glory."

Wheat Harvest Magazine is a Magazine that shares the truth of God's word and the testimonies of thos

30/06/2024

Nathan had two children: a little girl from his first marriage to Stacy, who didn't live with him and lived with her mother, and a second child, a son, who lived with him and his present wife, Francis. Nathan spoiled his son because he believed he should always say only positive and pleasing things to him. Nathan never corrected him and often got upset when others corrected his son's behavior. Nathan always spoke sweetly to his son and never said anything harshly to him, even when he did something wrong.

Nathan was also a very organized man. He meticulously packed everything away before leaving his work desk daily, and his home office was just as organized. Everything was in place, and he knew where everything was if needed.

One day, Nathan was working from home. He walked away from his office for a few minutes to make himself a cup of tea. During that time, unaware, his eight-year-old son slipped inside his home office. And his son wrecked the whole room!

His son pulled down most of the papers and files, opened all the pens and markers he could find, ripped some of the papers, attempted to bite through some, and marked over most of the rest of the papers. During all that excitement, his son found Nathan's stack of chocolate on his desk and ate some, threw some on the carpet, and wiped some over the desk and papers.

Nathan finally arrived back at his office. How could his son do so much damage in 10 minutes when he had spent years fixing, pulling, and finding the best way to organize that office? But Nathan never corrected his son before. And he had no intention of starting now. As Nathan stood there, steering at the hurricane of an office, he would have to clean up. His son walked up to him, pleased and smiling.

Nathan returned the smile and said, "It's alright, don't worry. Everything is fine." He did not address the behavior or say it was unacceptable. Two months later, Nathan forgot to close the office door (again), and a similar situation happened.

Each time, he would simply say, "It's alright, don't worry. Everything is fine." Nathan did not address the behavior. Nathan allowed this issue to create a massive problem that caused his son to get into serious problems as an adult. His son never had to face the consequences of inappropriate actions. His son never had someone say this is wrong or unacceptable. It was (only) after situations arose where Nathan no longer had control and serious consequences faced his son that Nathan eventually addressed the issue with him, but this came when his son was much older and too late.

Jeremiah 6:13-14 says, "For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace."

The little things matter to God. In this scripture, we find the spiritual leaders at the time, priests and prophets, falsely instructing the people that all was well. Instead of telling them the truth, the scripture says they "healed their wounds slightly" by telling them there is peace. But in reality, there was no peace.

In this scripture, peace means "safe, well, happy, friendly, welfare, health, prosperity, peace." Don't we want to hear these things? Of course! We all want to hear good, nice things. Who doesn't want to hear they are healthy, wealthy, prosperous, and safe? God wants the best for us. He has the very best intentions for us. The Lord wants us to be prosperous, healthy, and safe. He wants us to be blessed and live with joy. But sometimes, we miss the Lord's best (for us) because we fall into disobedience and walk away from God's truth and purpose for our lives. In the scriptures, this was the situation. They had fallen in disobedience and believed they were doing well. They believed that there was peace.

But God was saying there was no peace. There was no peace because the people had not listened. They had turned away from the straight and narrow path and lived lives of disobedience. But the priests and prophets soothed the people with nice words! Isn't it the same way today? Even when doing something wrong, we don't want to hear someone say it. We want to hear the opposite and call the wrong things right. We prefer to hear correct even when things are incorrect. We all want to hear these all the time. All is well with you! God is pleased with you! God doesn't mind how we live or treat our spouse or family!

God doesn't mind if we spend just enough time writing a sermon or preparing for worship but have no time to pray or read the Bible at other times! God is all right if we have hate, anger, and hypocrisy in our hearts! God is fine with our unforgiveness, backbiting, and pride! Don't worry about malice, prejudice, favoritism, or strife; just go to church, give some money, and pretend all's well! There is peace, peace, peace! And it is well. All is well! It is well with our souls!

It sounds harsh, doesn't it? But God said smooth talking is not helpful and will eventually lead us astray, as it led the people in the scriptures astray. Soothing words will not cause us to obey God. Isn't it wise to know the truth or reality so we can self-reflect, admit our failings, and do better? In this scripture, God warns everyone from the least to the greatest, from the prophet to the priest, not to deal falsely and say everything is well when it is not the situation.

This is for our situations today, from those of us who sit in the pew or are at the pulpit, from those who preach to those who sing, those who lead, or those who (just) attend church without assigned posts or roles. All of us! We all must consider what we are doing and how we are living. We all must ask God, is this (really) pleasing to You? Is my life pleasing to You? I may feel that I am doing well, but we must ask the Lord if this is, in fact, the reality.

It may sound harsh, but the only opinion that (really) matters is the Lord's! What we think does not matter. Our thoughts or assessments don't matter; this is the reality and truth. Only what God's word says matters. That is all that matters! Let us evaluate ourselves sincerely. Are we obeying God's Word? Is our daily lives a reflection of a life surrendered and obedient to Christ?

The people we read about in Jeremiah are like many of us today. They heard that all was well, and week after week, they believed all was well. But God was not pleased. And all was not well. Let this not be our situation. In the scripture, the reality was that they were about to enter 70 years of captivity, and they were about to be overtaken. In fact, there was no peace! But the leaders kept speaking falsely to them. The people believed the lies partly because they made them feel good. The lies made them at ease, so they didn't have to address the problems and consequences they were facing.

No one knows our hearts, motives, or the sort of relationship we have with God but God! People don't see how we live in our homes, treat our spouses, children, or families, or speak about or think about others. But God knows and sees it all. We don't know, so we can't judge each other, and we should not judge each other. And this Bible teaching is not about judging anyone.

In fact, the Bible reminds us that we ought to judge ourselves. We ought to allow God to clean our lives and hearts so we are vessels of honor fit for His use. 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 says, "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world."

Prayer
Our Father, we pray today that You will search our hearts. See where there is wickedness in us: a little hate, envy, pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, covetousness, or lust. So many little things may be in our hearts and lives that need to go. We pray today that You will help us not to allow these things (no matter how small we may think they are) to linger and fester into something even worse.

Please help us, God, to reflect Your light, love, and glorify You. May our lives glorify You in how we speak, think, act, believe, and treat others. Please help us not to say soothing words contrary to Your Word. But help us reflect, see where we may have fallen, and repent. Let us see it as essential to take genuine steps to remedy unresolved or partially resolved situations with others so that our offering may be acceptable and pleasing to You.

Lord Jesus, may You be the source and flow of all we are. We humbly come to You. Thank You for Your love and grace, in Jesus' name, amen.

🙏

Wheat Harvest Magazine is a Magazine that shares the truth of God's word and the testimonies of thos

12/05/2024

Have you ever been in an impossible situation? Have you been in a situation that keeps you up at night and seems like there is no way out, no matter how many times you look at it. I have been in a few impossible ones. Situations that I thought there was no way out. And, in these times, I cried to the Lord to help me because I knew I didn't know the answer, nor did anyone around me know the answer. It was obvious that only the Lord could find a solution. In these times, the Lord heard me and helped me. Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." I have proven that God is a very present help in times of trouble.

There is nothing wrong with seeking the Lord for help. The issue is I don't always seek the Lord in all the problems arising in my life. There are times when I have been in difficult situations. These were challenging situations, but in my mind, they were fixable ones. These problems are not impossible, like the parting of the Red Sea or water turning into wine. These were not the impossible ones. In these situations, instead of going to God first, I relied on the advice of others and on my (own) intellect to solve them. I didn't know I was failing until recently. The Lord gives us smart people who can offer sound advice, and there is nothing wrong with hearing advice from these people. Proverbs 11: 14 says, "Where no wise guidance is, the people falleth; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety." But I have realized that seeking the Lord first in all matters, whether completely impossible or just tricky is biblical. It doesn't matter how smart we are. It doesn't matter how smart others around us are. Seeking the Lord's will before we seek the wisdom of others or the wisdom within us is essential. It was not until I read the story of King Asa that I realized just how important this is. I still err in doing it, but now I know I must consciously try to do it.

II Chronicles 14-16 recounts the story of King Asa, a wise king who tried to do what was right in the sight of the Lord. His convictions were so strong that he removed his mother from her position when she sinned. II Chronicles 15:16 says, "And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron."

Asa trusted the Lord when faced with an impossible task. II Chronicles 14:9 says, "And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with a host of a thousand thousand..." One thousand multiplied by a thousand is one million (1,000,000). Can you imagine seeing 1,000,000 people? This many people would have looked like a sea of heads in front of Asa, spreading out more than 57 acres. My school had 3,000, and some days, I felt like a dot among them when we gathered in the auditorium on the first day of school. To Asa, to anyone, seeing one million people must have been overwhelming. He was in an impossible situation. There was no way to win without some severe consequences. But Asa knew better and called on the Lord to deliver him. II Chronicles 14:11 says, "And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee." And the Lord heard him and delivered him.

Asa then encouraged everyone to seek the Lord. II Chronicles 15:12 says, "And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul." And later, at the end of verse 15, it says, "… and the Lord gave them rest round about." Verse 19 says, "And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa."

So, Asa had peace for the first ten years of his reign. He had this incident with the one-million-man army, and then afterward, he had peace for another twenty-five years. Can you imagine not worrying about conflicts or resolving any disputes or disagreements with neighbors, friends, or enemies for twenty-five years? Often, it is difficult to get through one day without a conflict or potential issue. But the Lord gave Asa rest from these for approximately 9,131 days plus the decade before. He had rest, and he prospered. II Chronicles 14: 6-7 said, "And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest. Therefore, he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So, they built and prospered." The Lord delivered Asa and gave him rest because he sought Him first and purposed (in himself) to seek the Lord with all his heart and soul. What a concept!

Things were going well for Asa until another problem arose. This time, there were not a million soldiers and 300 hundred chariots. This time, it was a neighbor trying to be shady and troublesome. This time, it was a fixable problem. King Asa thought this was a fixable problem; to be fair, it was if you were clever. And Asa was clever. II Chronicles 16:3 says King Asa sent to his friend to ask him for help. It says, "There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me." This is something Asa could handle. He had a friend and knew he could solve the problem with minimal causalities or consequences if he linked him.

The real issue was not the bothersome neighbor or the cleverness of Asa. The issue was not the fact that this was a fixable issue. The issue was King Asa trusted in his (own) intellect to resolve a fixable problem. Was there something wrong with Asa trusting in his skills, smarts, or training? Why not? After all, Asa was raised to be king. He was trained in diplomatic relations. He was brilliant, and the path to the solution was clear. Here is the problem with instinctively trusting your skills, smarts, or other people (first) before going to the Lord. The skills, the intelligence, and the opinions of others become the source: the source of information and the source from which everything flows. If the first instinct is to solve it through my intelligence, then I am the source. If the first thought is to call a friend to help solve an issue, the friend becomes the source. Proverbs 2:6 says, "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." II Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Psalm 32: 7-8 says, "Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."

Sometimes, we get good results from those sources. Verse 5 says the plan did work. Asa's friend did help him, and the troublesome neighbor stopped being troublesome and went home. "And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease." This was an easy fix, right? Yes. They even got some stuff that helped them. Verse 6 says, "Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah." Free merchandise is not a bad thing. A blessing? But was it the right thing to do? Absolutely not! The consequence was stated in verses 8 and 9, "…yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars."

Asa’s response was anger and uncharacteristic behavior for him. II Chronicles 16:10 says, "Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time." The Bible says in Proverbs 9:8, "Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee." Asa reacted like an unwise man because of his anger and failure to accept what the Lord said about him. Often, it is hard to hear what is said about us, especially if it is not something good. Imagine being so angry that you become someone you're not.

Asa never repented. The Asa we read about in Chapter 14 was someone who was seeking the Lord with his own heart. Indeed, that Asa would have repented. The Asa who removed his (own) mother from being queen because she sinned against God. That Asa might have repented. What happened? The fact is, it was the same Asa, which is why we must be careful to double-check ourselves as we walk this path of life. Even if Asa thought it was an unfair assessment, this was a terrible response. Asa disagreed with the interpretation of his actions. He definitely didn't understand why the Lord would be so harsh. At the end of it, acceptance of the Lord's assessment of us and our actions, followed by repentance, is essential. Truth, our understanding, and our agreement are not required for repentance. The Lord is sovereign!

Asa did not turn from his current thought process and ideas. He didn't stop and think that what I did was wrong, and the Lord was displeased even though I thought I was doing good. Asa didn't contemplate the possibility that his goodness, intentions, or vision were irrelevant. Seeking the Lord is always the best way and is what Asa had promised to do. He had made a covenant to seek the Lord with his whole heart. But Asa's response was disbelief and anger. He didn't think he did anything wrong. Asa's decision not only lacked the truth and clarity that comes with seeking the Lord's instructions. It also showed that he regarded his ability and intellect above all. No matter how brilliant a chess player we are, seeking the Lord first is always the right move. The Lord would have delivered a rising foe into Asa's hands before they reached the height of power. This was the wisdom Asa didn't have when he decided on his own.

Moreover, Asa was so angry and missed the point of the lesson that even when he got sick, he didn't seek the Lord. King Asa missed it. Yes, he did wrong, but he could have learned and, moving forward, did what was right. II Chronicles 16:12-13 said, "And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign."

Today, remember to seek Christ in all things, great and small. We may be brilliant and have excellent training and skills. But remember, the Lord is the one who grants us this intelligence. Regardless of our wisdom, we are obligated to seek the Lord's wisdom in all that we do. The Lord wants to instruct us and impart more wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (in us). Seek the Lord first! "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (St Matthew 6:33).

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