Did You Look Hard?

2 Chronicles 15:15

Eagerly they sought after God, and they found him and the Lord gave them rest from their enemies on every side.

I remember my mother would send me into her closet looking for shoes or some item that I was not as passionate about finding as she was. Inevitably after digging through a pile of shoes, half-heartedly, I would give up my search only to come back empty handed, with the news, “I couldn’t find it.” She would look at me incredously and ask, “Did you look hard?”

When you want to find something bad enough you go to great lengths to seek it out in fact you will not rest until you find it. If only we would seek God like that. Oftentimes, we search for God like we do Mama's shoes. We look for him because someone sent us looking for something we are not passionate about. In a word, cluttered with religion we give up our half-hearted search for the true and living God.

King Asa came from a lineage of corrupt Kings who worshipped idol gods but when the prophet Azareal reminded the king in verse 2 that if they sought God they would find him: The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.” With that news, King Asa searched eagerly for the Lord by:

1. Removing all the idols from the land. Before you find God you have to remove all the substitute gods in your life. There are idols we have set up because we stopped short from finding the true and living God. Our jobs, our material possessions, and even our lovers have replaced our relationship with God. WE have to get rid of our idols.

2. Repairing the altar of the Lord. Repairing the altar means we have to go back to church or to the place of worship. It’s amazing what excuses we can come up with as to why we have not gone back to worship. The bible tells us not to forsake the assembly of ourselves in the house of the Lord.

3. Made sacrifices to God. When we get back into relationship with God, we should give him a sacrifice to show our appreciation. We should give him a sacrificial offering of our time, talent, and tithe. LL Cool J said, “ all that God gives me I give him 10% of that, I throw it up and he gives it right back.”

4. He deposed his grandmother as Queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down the pole, broke it up and burned it in the Kedron valley. What is the obscene thing your family has put up with that you need to now break up? It’s up to you to break generational curses and habits.

After King Asa did these things God gave them rest from all their enemies. When we are obedient in seeking God with everything we have that’s when God gives us rest from our enemies. Don’t stop looking until you find him.

Dear God, give us a renewed sense of urgency in finding you. My soul will not rest until it rests in thee. I will seek you lord while you may be found. Thank you for never leaving me or forsaking me.

In Jesus Name.

Amen.