"The high places were not taken away from Israel; nevertheless, Asa was wholeheartedly devoted his entire life." 2 Chronicles 15:17
King Asa was serious about his devotion to God. When it came to worship, he didn't play around. We are told that "he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing among them,...Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their ancestors with all their heart and all their soul. Whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel would be put to death, young or old, man or woman." (15:9-13) This guy meant business. He had realized that the reason the Israelites (both halves of this nation that was presently split) kept falling into ruin and subjection to their enemies was because of their idolatry. Every chance the people of Israel got, they went running back to false gods. It seemed like they weren't even that picky, just any god but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would do. It didn't matter how feckless these gods were. It mattered not that it costs them their own children; when times were even half-way decent, off they would go. They would cry out when they saw they really needed help. Like a spoiled son who only asked for their parents help when there is an attorney that needs to be placed on retainer; then once cleared of all charges is right back into committing felonies and misdemeanors, so went the way of Israel. They'd ask the One True God for help when they were desperate and needed to be heard. Asa was bent on breaking the cycle though. He started tearing down the idols that were all around; and we are told that he was wholeheartedly devoted to God his entire life. Now this is a pretty solid testimony to have recorded of you. If we keep reading though, we see something; devotion is not enough.
Asa had religion. Asa was all in. If there was worship going on, it would only be the worship of the Creator God, the only real God there is. He would have none of these counterfeit gods. Asa was the guy who ensured the doctrine at his church was on point. He was the type that made sure rules for church attendance were clearly displayed. He made sure the styles of the world's worship of false gods didn't mingle with how they worshiped the true God. Not even family could get in the way of his purification of the worship of God; he even removed his own grandmother from her place of power because of her idolatry. Until the day he died, he was DEVOTED. He had done all this, and then in year 36 of his reign, Israel's king started a war. Asa reached out to a neighboring king, Aram's king Ben-hadad, and said, "There’s a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you silver and gold. Go break your treaty with Israel’s King Baasha so that he will withdraw from me." It worked. Baasha, Israel's king backed off. After Asa got back home, a man of God met him and rebuked him. He called King Asa out for not depending on God. After all God has done for him, when he saw more trouble on the horizon, he worked his own scheme and while victorious in this instance it cost him more than he intended. The rest of his reign was plagued with wars. He was shortsighted and was informed of his foolishness because, "the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him." God is looking to show his mighty acts for those who are devoted to Him, just like Asa was. Hanani's rebuke was also intended as encouragement of reminding Asa that God loves to show his mighty hand for people like him. Asa was devoted, but he wasn't dependent.
Asa got upset at the reprimand. He threw Hanani into prison and lashed out at some of the people as well. Three years later he got a disease in his feet that became very severe. Even then, Asa sought help from the doctors, but never did he seek help from God. Forty-one years into being King, he died. All his days, Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to The LORD. Devoted, but not dependent.
Devotion isn't enough. Loving the hymns, never missing your daily scheduled quiet times, being in the church every time the doors are open, striving to avoid sin (even the appearance of sin), and any other activity that you may imagine that shows one's devotion to God; these are not bad things. Devotion is a good thing. However, one can be full of devotion, one can have all the most sincere, heartfelt, deeply religious actions, but miss the mark. It is all too easy to be devoted to God while failing to be depended on God.
Jesus tells us, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs." (Matt.5:3)" and, "You can do nothing without Me." (John 15:5) My prayer to God is that, by His Spirit, He will work in me not only to be wholeheartedly devoted to, but also fully dependent on Jesus.
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