GOD: Our Help

In 2 Chronicles the Bible says that Asa became king of Judah. In verse 2 of chapter 14 it says that King Asa "did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God" and "commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment." Under his leadership, Judah prospered. When Asa's army of 300,000 from Judah and 280,000 from Benjamin was facing the Ethiopian army numbering one million strong with 300 chariots, the king "cried to the Lord his God, 'O God, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.'" The Lord prevailed on their behalf and the Ethiopians were defeated. Years and years of prosperity and peace passed. But in the thirty-sixth year of King Asa's reign, in seeking protection from another enemy, the king made a covenant with another ruler. King Asa said to the king of Syria, "There is a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king  of Israel, that he may withdraw from me." But this displeased the Lord. Hanani came to King Asa and said to him, "Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him." From that time forward King Asa was troubled. Even when he became sick toward the end of his life "he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians."


The Lord God, He is our help. He is our refuge and strength. He is our deliverer. Trust Him. Call on Him. Depend on Him. Rely on Him. God can!


I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.


The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.


The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.


-Psalm 121