Thursday, May 6, 2010
2 Chronicles 16:7-8 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: "Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand."
FEET FOR THOUGHT -- HOW FAR WILL YOUR FEET CARRY YOU?
When someone takes a hike, they usually take into account the distance that they will be traveling. When I consider the "distance" of my life and my own hiking history, I recognize that on my own I am not very well prepared. King Asa's example of his earthly hike shows that over the course of his reign of Judah (41 years), his feet started to wear out. What the Lord shows me through the surrounding verses and the scolding of Hanani the prophet is that Asa had started to rely on his own two feet rather than rely on God.
I am so often tempted to rely on my own two feet also. I don't often consider the distance or journey of my life--recognizing that I need the proper food and nourishment from Jesus "the Bread of Life" or the tools He "the Good Shepherd" supports me with. When I read His Word, not only does He satisfy my hunger for forgiveness like He satisfied the 5000 with bread, but His rod and His staff comfort me. The rod of God's Law lovingly disciplines and teaches me to follow Him rather than relying on myself like Asa did. Jesus' Gospel is His staff that gently pulls me back when I go astray. He draws me back with outstretched arms; the same outstretched arms measuring that He loved me "this much" with His death on the cross.
My life is so much like a hike. For Asa, his hike ended after trusting only in his physicians to cure a deadly foot disease. I'm not sure how long or short I'll be hiking. But I need to consider my own two feet and trust that my risen Lord and Savior will take care of me by being the One who lovingly carries me all the way.
