Building One Another
LOOK UP Vol 8 No 36
September 23, 2009
Dear Friend,
When a situation you must contend with arises, what are your first thoughts? Are you immediately “solutional” considering alternate courses of action or are you first “devotional” immediately lifting your eyes to God?
Asa was a king of Judah who found himself facing the king of Israel. Asa made a treaty with the king of Aram whose army rescued Judah. I remember reading that story and thinking, “Wow, Asa was a smart strategist” until I read, “At that time the seer Hanani came to King Asa of Judah, and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Aram, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped you.” 2 Chronicles 16:7
God wanted Asa’s devotion before Asa devised a solution.
Contrast Asa with his son, King Jehoshaphat, who learned a gigantic army was heading his way to attack Judah. Jehoshaphat immediately prayed, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you,” and God protected his people.
2 Chronicles 20:12b
In other words whether you face a technical challenge for which you know what to do or an adaptive challenge for which you haven’t a clue, the first thing to do has everything to do with faith!
Whatever challenges you this day, look up and trust God, relying on God’s presence, wisdom, power and love to be with you.
“Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1
With joy - E. Stanley Ott
Copyright 2009 E. Stanley Ott
*Scripture from the NRSV