The first step in any spiritual awakening is demolition. We cannot make headway in seeking God without first tearing down the accumulated junk in our souls. Rationalizing has to cease. We have to start seeing the sinful debris we hadn't noticed before, which is what holds back the blessing of God.
I wonder if any government employee said, "Excuse me, King Asa, but your father built that particular shrine...Your grandfather dedicated that incense altar. Are you sure you want them demolished?"
and (on how King Asa later in life relied on human armies rather than God
The man who had built his whole success in life upon seeking after God was now dipping into the Lord's coffers for a secular buy-off!
And the king of Aram was willing to be bought. He sent his army to put pressure on Asa's enemy, who quickly backed away from attacking Jerusalem. Asa even got to capture some building materials that were left behind.
In other words, the plan "worked." Asa probably felt proud of himself. I used my head and figured my way out of this one. Im smart.
The people realized they had a very clever leader. Many churches today are making the same assumption: Whatever "works" is the way to go. If a technique gets the building filled and the bills paid, it must be blessed by God. Visible results are the proof that a strategy is heaven-ordained. Such thinking is due for a rude awakening when we stand before the Lord.
Good food for thought for me. In June, I began serving at a church that is larger than I have served in the past, and while I have a lot to learn about my new setting, I do not want to fall into the trap of relying on human means instead of God.
