Finishing Well?
A long time ago I was told, “Being a follower of Jesus is a marathon, not a sprint.”
That simple sentence didn’t mean much to me when I was a 19-year-old new believer. However, now as a “card-carrying senior citizen,” I can testify that it is very true!
While reading through the Tanakh (Old Testament) the other day, I saw an example of a senior citizen believer whose story made me think about that marathon.
The account was about Asa, the grandson of King Rehoboam, the first king of Judah after the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were divided. His story begins with a summary statement in 2 Chronicles 14:2-4:
Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands.[1]
I’m sure all believers would love to have their lives summarized like that!
Reading on in 2 Chronicles, we learn more about Asa’s life. Chapter 14 tells of Asa’s early years, Chapter 15 is his middle years, and finally his last days are recorded in Chapter 16.
In Chapter 14 we find Asa assuming the throne of his father Abijah. The first ten years were characterized by peace. During that peace Asa strengthens the fortifications of Judah and the nation prospers. Eventually Zerah the Cushite brings an army described as “thousand upon thousands with 300 chariots” to attack Judah. It is at this point in Asa’s life that we begin to see his character.
In Chapter 14:11 we read:
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.”
The Lord strikes down the Cushites for Asa and Judah with a great victory. Asa followed the victory by ridding the land of idol worship. He also takes considerable booty and livestock back to Jerusalem.
A prophet named Azariah visits Asa in the fifteenth year of his reign and declares,
“Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you…. But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”[2]
The words “seek” or “sought” appear nine times during Asa’s story. They are the key to understanding his life. Throughout the remainder of chapter 15 Asa follows the revelation of Azariah and leads his people:
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul…. They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them. So, the Lord gave them rest on every side…. There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.[3]
For 20 years there was no war because Asa and the people of Judah sought the Lord and kept His word.
The final chapter of Asa’s life (Chapter 16) begins in the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign; Judah is under attack for the first time in 20 years. Baasha, King of Israel came into Judah and set a siege from Ramah. No one was allowed to go into or out of Judah.
Asa again, after many years, has to make a decision about the peace of his people and his own kingship. This time he handles it differently than when Cush came against him years earlier.
This time Asa goes to the Ben-Hadad of Aram (Syria) and agrees to give him silver and gold from the Lord’s temple in payment to run Baasha out of Judah. Ben-Hadad keeps his end of the bargain and Judah is free! Asa even brings out men from Judah to plunder Baasha’s camp.
All appears well after the victory until God brings another prophet into Asa’s life,
At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” (emphasis mine)[4]
Asa becomes so angry with Hanani that he has him thrown into prison. This is the first recorded incidence of persecution against prophets by a king of either Israel or Judah. From this point on what had been a peaceful, prosperous reign became one of constant war and strife.
By the thirty-ninth year of Asa’s reign he develops some sort of disease in his feet. Again, instead of seeking the Lord, he only seeks help from physicians.
Asa died in the forty-first year of his reign in pain, surrounded by war.
Asa knew victory and joy in the beginning of his reign. He enjoyed the spoils of those victories for many years. However, when crises arose later in life, he forgot from where his victories had come.
It seems that Asa forgot that the spiritual life is a marathon, not a sprint.
What Asa had done in the past did not see him through to the end. To finish the race, one must trust the Lord all the way through the finish line. Asa did not.
At the end of the Apostle Paul’s life he said:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith…. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.[5]
Paul finished his race well in spite of many struggles. I pray you and I will finish our races well too as we seek the Lord to the end!
Written by Winn, LIFE Staff
Are you currently sprinting or do you have a marathon mindset in the race of life?
For what challenge should you be seeking wisdom from the Lord?
What steps can you take today toward ending your race well?
Endnotes:
[1] All scripture references are taken from the New International Version.
[2] 2 Chronicles 15:2-7
[3] 2 Chronicles 15:11-19
[4] 2 Chronicles 16:7-10
[5] 2 Timothy 4:7-18