The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, ‘Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.’
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple.
2 Chronicles 15:1-8
If you’re working towards something significant it’s almost guaranteed that you’re going to run up against obstacles that seem insurmountable. When I say “something significant” I don’t mean something that will change the world – I mean something significant for you. Significant could be attempting to restore a relationship with an estranged child, overcome an addiction, taking on a new challenge in your work, or simply showing up in a hard moment.
When you’re feeling like giving up, or simply like the work you’ve put in isn’t bearing fruit, God’s words to Asa are a powerful encouragement. “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
Who is Asa
Asa was a king in Judah and a descendant of David, one in a long line of ups and downs as the Israelites turned away from God toward idols and back again, largely based on whether or not the king at the time was leading them in the right or wrong direction.
Asa, overall, was one of the few good kings recorded in Kings and Chronicles. His heart was true to the God of Israel, so he wanted to remove the countless idols and shrines to other gods from the land, but that was a dangerous move, one that could cause chaos and anger from the people, many of whom were passionate idol worshipers. So, as the text above records, God’s Spirit prompts Azariah to speak some powerful and encouraging words to the young king, culminating with the words, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
Be strong
Azariah’s words to Asa echo God’s words to Joshua centuries earlier; “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6). The reality is that if you want to do something singificant it requires strength and courage. You need an emotional and spiritual resiliency that will carry you through the challenges.
Where does that strength come from? Nehemiah put it this way; “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10), and the Apostle Paul later exhorted the Ephesian church to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” (Eph. 6:10).
Where do you need to commit to be strong today? Where do you need to rest into God’s joy and draw strength from the one who is endless in power? Whatever the task in front of you, be strong and don’t give up.
Don’t give up
The essence of strength is this found in the ability to stay the course and continue in the midst of challenge. Asa faced significant opposition, but thanks to the affirmation of Azariah’s word from the Lord, he didn’t give up. Instead he “removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim.”
Where in your life are you about to give up? Don’t. Settle it in your heart that you will not give up. “But as for you, be strong and do not give up” because in the end you will see the good outcome of your work.
Your work will be rewarded
The culmination of God’s words to Asa are that his work will be rewarded. For the reader of Kings and Chronicles it certainly feels like the work of the Godly kings doesn’t have a lasting outcome. More often than not the next generation of leaders turns the entire country back to their idolatry, seemingly eliminating any progress made. Yet the word of God remains true. The Godly kings’ work was and will be rewarded.
As Paul writes in Romans 2, “God ‘will repay each person according to what they have done.’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life.” (v.6-7) In Revelation 22:12, Jesus declares, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” Whether in this life or the next, your work will be rewarded. Guaranteed.
And praise God that our reward isn’t solely dependent on our performance. Jesus is the one who has purchased for us the ultimate reward of salvation and restoration into the Kingdom of God. Because He has paid the price, we are freed from the terrible question of the cost of failure and empowered to do as God commanded Asa; “be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
What significant thing will you commit to seeing through to the end, in the faith that your work will be rewarded? It will be well worth the effort.
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