Who's Your Doctor
Today’s Verse:
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. ~2 Chronicles 16:12
Two years ago, my physician for almost fifteen years announced that he was retiring from private practice. Although he appeared to have several more years of opportunity to practice, he wanted out of the world of managed care. I began the not-so-easy search for a new physician. Like other people, I began asking other doctors and other people, “Who’s your doctor?” I wanted to know if these people had a doctor they could recommend whom they felt was very professional, thorough, and competent. Our devotion this morning is about a king who didn’t ask that question and wound up with doctors who could not help him.
We see the reasoning.
King Asa was under attack by King Baasha of Israel. Asa took the silver and gold from the treasure house of the Lord to hire Benhadad, the king of Syria, to fight Baasha for him. He felt that he had the financial capability to hire a mercenary to help him with his kingdom’s problem. He did not think twice about his decision. He did not consider praying to God about his situation since a pragmatic solution was at his fingertips. Solving our own problems because we think we have or can buy a solution is totally antithetical to God’s will for us. In his reasoning, Asa did not think that he needed God’s wisdom or help.
We see the requirement.
“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” (v. 9a). God is looking throughout the earth to see which of His people will place their complete and total trust in Him. A perfect heart towards God is one that humbles itself to God and pleads for mercy and grace to help in time of need. At the beginning of his monarchy, Asa placed his complete faith in the Lord for help against an attack by the Ethiopians. God overwhelmingly showed Himself strong for Asa. Now, 35 years later, Asa became self-sufficient and tried to solve things his way. Do you trust God for everything in your life? Do you even see yourself as needy at all times?
We see the rebuke.
“Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars” (v. 9b). The prophet Hanani was sent to Asa with a stinging rebuke. God called him foolish. It is unwise for us to live our lives independently of God. The moment we trust in our ability instead of God, we have set ourselves up for failure. Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. We should stop right now and think about how much faith in God we really placed in Him in 2020. How many times did we bypass asking God for help and “hire out” someone else to solve a problem for us? How many problems did we try to solve ourselves, only to make a bigger mess?
We see the result.
Asa was filled with rage against Hanani and put him into prison. He oppressed the people in his kingdom. Three years later, he was afflicted with a dreadful foot disease. It was so great that he could not walk or get around on his own. “Yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.” His attitude was, “Why do I need to pray to God when I have doctors I can go to?” He declined spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and physically until two years later when he died. A lack of faith in God and trust in self is a slow and dreadful spiritual demise. The Lord Who heals (Jehovah Raphe) was available to Asa if only he would have humbled himself and prayed. Spiritual health is more important than your physical health. Who’s your doctor?
Have a trust-committed God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Revelation 10-12
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