How can Asa's reliance on physicians over God inform our own faith practices? Asa’s Final Scene “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his disease was severe; yet even in his illness he did not seek the LORD, but only the physicians. So Asa slept with his fathers and died in the forty-first year of his reign.” Where Did He Go Off-Course? • Earlier victories came when he “relied on the LORD” (16:7-8). • Political compromise with Ben-hadad shifted his trust from God to human alliances (16:2-3). • By the time disease struck, his default response was the doctor’s office, not the throne of grace. Scripture’s Consistent Call to Dependence • 2 Chronicles 16:9—“The eyes of the LORD roam to and fro…” seeking those whose hearts are fully His. • Jeremiah 17:5—“Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength.” • Proverbs 3:5-8—Trust the LORD; “It will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.” • Psalm 103:2-3—He “forgives all your iniquity” and “heals all your diseases.” Is Medicine the Enemy? • Luke, “the beloved physician,” traveled with Paul (Colossians 4:14). • Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick” (Luke 5:31). • God often works through skilled hands and trained minds; the issue is the object of the heart’s trust, not the existence of the prescription pad. Lessons for Life Today • Begin with prayer before making appointments; invite God into every diagnosis. • Ask: “Am I depending on technique or on the One who gives wisdom to the caregiver?” • Combine faith and practical action—take the meds, but also meditate on His promises. • Guard against slow spiritual drift; daily time in the Word keeps confidence centered on the Lord. • Use health crises as opportunities for testimony: “This is what my God has done.” Takeaway Snapshot 1. Human help is a gift; divine help is the foundation. 2. Reliance on God is measured not by words but by first responses. 3. Failure to seek the LORD can shorten blessings that might have flourished (compare Asa’s peaceful early years to his troubled finish). 4. Our generation’s advanced medicine must never replace the ancient path of trust. Hope for Every Ailing Soul No matter how modern the treatment, the greatest Physician still says, “Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you” (Psalm 50:15). Let Asa’s misstep steer us back to that bedrock confidence. |
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