Our Heavenly Ally

2 Chronicles 16:1-9

King Asa of Judah, originally a God-fearing king, had gotten comfortable (I believe).  He was in his thirty-fifth year of reign, or so, and he had a problem with Baasha, King of Israel.  Rather than turn to God, Asa makes a pact with King Ben-hadad of Syria -- an enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend kind of thing.  Asa, with Ben-hadad's help defeats Baasha. 

The Bible doesn't tell us that Asa had begun some sort of personal struggle with God; nor does it say Asa had fallen to temptation or suffered some sort of setback.  One day Asa was King of Israel, seeking God's guidance for his reign and his people -- next day, he'd handled things exactly as we see them handled in the world today.  Conspiracies.  Backroom deals.  Back scratching amongst politicians or co-workers.  I think Asa got comfortable operating within the parameters of earthly kings.  The same way we get comfortable operating inside the myopia of reason, and "do-it-yourself-ism." 

Someone takes advantage of you?  Sure, you may not pay them back (that would be "un-Christian") but you certainly can't let them do it again -- "They'll think they can do it all the time!" 

"God helps those who help themselves!"  Right? 

"If you want something done you've gotta do it yourself!"

When my second marriage ended, I returned to my "Forever Friend," Jesus.  I gave it all to Him (and found too, that's not a one-time thing -- I surrender over and over.  I have to!).  Even as my pantry was emptying and my mortgage could not be paid, I trusted Jesus would provide.  Only because Family Courts (in PA? Delco? I'm not sure) forces single mothers to take fathers to support court as a way to avoid children on welfare and deadbeat parents, did I file for support.  I prayed and prayed for God's will to be done in earthly circumstances.  After the initial meeting with a "support counselor" appointed by the courts, all court dates regarding the issue, were my ex-husband's appeals.  The entire time I kept praying for Jesus' provision and plan.  The entire time, my ex-husband kept appealing.  The entire time, the monthly support figure kept going up!  At some point, he actually came to me and begged me to stop this!  I had to remind him that he was the one who was keeping this alive; he was actually doing it to himself!  I told him the only thing I could -- I was praying for him.  My ex-husband was relying on the courts, making his deal with an earthly "king;" I had committed myself to a Heavenly Advocate.

Since then, I too have gotten comfortable in this world from time to time.  I see an issue and labor furiously to "fix" it.  I plot and scheme, and twitch with anticipation, dying to get my hands on whatever it is so I can make it right.  I often need to remind myself: 

The best solution is prayer, the best partner is Jesus, and the best plan is His!