Recorded in the book of Second Chronicles is the history of the kings of Judah, those in King David’s royal line. Among those listed is Asa. King Asa began his reign and is right away described as doing “what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” (2 Chronicles 14:2) He was deliberate in destroying idol worship by removing foreign altars and shrines. He commanded the people to seek the Lord with a complete and sincere heart, obeying God’s commands. Through the time of peace, he fortified the walls and built up the town.

When God brought peace to an end, Judah was threatened by attack from an Ethiopian army of over 1,000,000 men. Though he had wisely prepared, King Asa placed his trust in God rather than his fortified army.

“And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord, 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.” So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians.” (2 Chronicles 14:11-12)

With God’s victory over the Ethiopians fresh in his mind, King Asa is met by Azariah, the son of Oded. Azariah encourages Asa and all of Judah saying “The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” (2 Chronicles 15:2) This same promise extends to me and you. If we seek the Lord, we will find Him. As a result, the King continued the removal of idols and the repair of the temple. Together he and the people made a covenant to seek God with all their heart and soul.

But something went wrong as the years went by. When attack again threatened Judah rather than remembering God’s past victory over a huge army, King Asa looked to the King of Syria for aid. When Hanani, the seer, confronted King Asa with his disobedience, rather than acknowledging and confessing his sin before God, King Asa threw Hanani in prison and mistreated the people. As his life ended, King Asa continued to forsake the Lord. He walked away from his relationship with God. Because he did not seek Him, he no longer found Him. He died in misery. A sad end to what seemed to be such a beautiful and promising beginning when King Asa began his reign.

What caused his heart to change, when he was marked by faithfulness to God through most of his life? While there is no clear explanation in scripture, we can only look to what God said repeatedly in this passage.

“The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” (2 Chronicles 15:2)

Asa stopped pursuing God with his whole heart. Maybe he got too comfortable, maybe the dangers around him felt too great. Whatever the case, he took his eyes off of God. Though God never left him, he left God. He stopped following God with a complete and sincere heart.

Passages like this cause you to reflect your own relationship with God. Maybe you are close in your relationship with the Lord, maybe you have just experienced great victory. Maybe you are going through a time of trouble, finding it hard to trust. Maybe you have grown too comfortable and time with God has quietly slipped by. Wherever you are in your relationship with Him, remember God has promised He will never leave you. If you seek Him, you will find Him.

The life of King Asa did not have to end in misery. If Asa would have looked to God, he would have found God waiting with open arms. The same is true with you. Wherever you are in your walk with God, pursue Him and fall into His open arms with a sincere heart. You will find Him.