WHAT WENT WRONG?

[Pastor Bayo Afolaranmi]

Dearly Beloved,

WHAT WENT WRONG?

"Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God" (2 Chronicles 14:2 NIV).

"Asa was angry with the [prophet] because of [the admonition]; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people" (2 Chronicles 16:10 NIV).

Asa was one of good kings of Judah. The writers of the Scriptures chronicled his good deeds thus: he did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God (2 Chronicles 14:2); he removed the foreign gods and the high places (2 Chronicles 14:3, 5); he expelled the male shrine-prostitutes from the land of Judah (1 Kings 15:12); he commanded the people of Judah to seek God and obey Him (2 Chronicles 14:4); he trusted God in time of war (verses 11); he repaired the altar of the LORD (2 Chronicles 15:8b); he led the people of Judah and even some from Israel to reestablish their covenant with God (2 Chronicles 15:10-14); he even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because of her idolatry (2 Chronicles 15:16); and his heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life (2 Chronicles 15:17). Because of these, God gave him and his people rest on every side (2 Chronicles 14:6, 7). Even when somebody with a vast army waged war against him, God gave him a resounding victory with many plunders (2 Chronicles 14:9-15).

Nevertheless, his last years were a tragedy! He abandoned the almighty God for a mere man when another country waged war against him (2 Chronicles 16:1-6). When a prophet of God confronted him for his lack of trust in God, he was angry and put the prophet in prison (2 Chronicles 16:7-10). He also brutally oppressed some of his people (2 Chronicles 16:10b). When he was afflicted with a disease, he refused to seek God (2 Chronicles 16:12). He died in that disease!

One may wonder what actually went wrong in the life of Asa. Why did he start well and ended tragically? The writers of the Scriptures did not give a hint to his decadence. Apparently, his successes went to his head and he forgot his God.

This is a food for thought for all of us. Think about yourself. Are you serving God the way you used to serve Him some years ago? Are you not deteriorating in your devotion to God? What went wrong? You have to think about it in your relationship with God and "Give careful thought to your ways" (Haggai 1:5, 7 NIV).

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).

NB

This message was first sent out on September 11, 2005.