the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 2 of 5
2 Chronicles 15:1-19
Asa has been faithful. God is going to encourage him further through Azariah. His Word is just as necessary after the battle as before it. For the natural tendency is to relax. "Let not your hands be weak", the prophet commands, adding this promise, "For your work shall be rewarded" (v. 7). These words are effective. Asa, full of energy, does away with the abominable idols from the land and brings back the service of the altar. This amazing zeal led not only the people of Judah and Benjamin to follow him but also there came "out of Israel in abundance;; from the other tribes (v. 9)! The same thing applies to the devotion which we show for the Lord. It will encourage other believers, who are perhaps more shy, to show their faith. This is an experience that many have had, in particular during military service. It has been said: A heart sincerely bound to the Lord is what really speaks to the conscience of others (W. Kelly). Asa understands that he cannot demand absolute purification from the people if he himself does not set a precedent in his own house. He has no hesitation in dealing with Maachah, the queen mother, by removing her crown and reducing her idol to dust and ashes.
