Our family is reading the Old Testament narratives and we came upon a prayer of Asa, one of the good kings of Judah:
Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you." 2 Chronicles 14:11
This is not the Prayer of Jabez with its request for increased personal prosperity. It is a prayer for God’s people in peril.
Imagine being King Asa. The vast army of Zerah the Cushite is spoiling for a fight against you; thousands upon thousands of highly skilled and powerfully equipped soldiers are primed to pounce at your weakest point. At stake is your country, its towns, people and livelihood. What will happen to the sons and daughters of the king as Zerah carries them off as trophies of war?
Asa was a good king. He did not trust in his horses or chariots. He trusted in God. He knew God to be the one who helped the powerless against the mighty. He knew God to be the one who was on a mission to make his name great in the world. He knew God to have made the people of Judah his people, though whom his salvation would come.
The Bible says that the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective. Asa’s prayer was such a prayer. He surrendered his life to God and trusted God to take care of him and his people. God was faithful to his promises and wiped out that vast army that threatened so powerfully. Asa was able to rout his foe and drive him away.
Your Lenten journey may take you to places where you have faced vast armies of a kind. Maybe you faced personal trouble. Maybe your church faced a spiritual barrier. Maybe you know the fear of being overwhelmed.
Good King Asa teaches us what happens when we trust in the God who fights our battles. God will make the weak strong and he will win our battles for us. In Christ the battle has been won on the cross. We can trust this God who saves us.