Asa was one of the early kings of Judah (2 Chronicles 14-16). He was the grandson of Solomon and reigned for 41 years.

  • He removed the foreign altars and high places and cut down the Asherim (2 Chronicles 14:3).
  • He commanded Judah to seek the Lord and observe His law and commandments (2 Chronicles 14:4).
  • He removed the idols set up by his father (1 Kings 15:12).
  • He removed his mother from her position (1 Kings 15:13).
  • He put away cult prostitutes (1 Kings 15:12).
  • He restored items to the Temple (1 Kings 15:15).
  • He built fortified cities (2 Chronicles 14:6-7).
  • He established a large army (2 Chronicles 14:8).
  • He called upon God when the Ethiopian army came against him (2 Chronicles 14:9-15).

While Asa did many good things during the early part of his reign (1 Kings 15:11, 14), the later years were very different. He doesn’t finish the spiritual race strong.

He failed to continue trusting God.

  • When King Baasha came against him, he turned to a heathen king for help (2 Chronicles 16:1-3).
    • His response to an enemy threat differed from earlier in his reign (2 Chronicles 14:11-12).
    • His trust in God got weaker the longer he reigned as king.
  • Has that also happened to us? Has our trust and confidence in God’s ability to care for us weakened (Proverbs 3:5-8)?

He failed to humbly receive godly counsel.

  • The prophet Hanani rebuked Asa for turning to a heathen king against Israel (2 Chronicles 16:5-10). He told Asa that God was not pleased with his actions.
    • Asa got angry at the prophet and put him in jail.
    • His heart was hardened against the word of God!
  • Has that also happened to us? When given godly counsel, how do we respond? Do we repent or harden our hearts?

He failed to continue seeking God.

  • Asa got sick in his feet towards the end of his reign (2 Chronicles 16:11-13).
    • He doesn’t turn to God for help. Instead, he put his trust in the doctors.
    • This is the same guy who, earlier in his reign, turned to the Lord when the Ethiopians came against him.
  • Have we become like Asa? Do we understand that we must fully depend on God (Luke 11:2-4)?

He failed to keep his foot on the spiritual accelerator.

  • It is not enough to start out running well with God. We must keep going. We must stay focused and finish the race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
  • This requires constant spiritual growth, maturity, discipline, zeal, humility, and trust in God.

Conclusion:

Are you still running strong or at risk of falling short of the finish line?