2 Chronicles 13-17

The life of King Asa is one of those sad tales of someone who was devoted to God, but in the end turned his back on the One who had blessed him. But something struck me as I was reading about Asa’s obedient years.

God had given Judah one decisive victory after another to the point no other nation wanted to go up against them. There was peace in the land. So did Asa throw a party? Did he go on vacation? Did he put his feet up and just revel in the peace?

2 Chronicles 14:6a says, “Because the land experienced peace, Asa built fortified cities in Judah.“

Asa knew you don’t start fortifying your cities when the enemy attacks. You don’t start a building project in the middle of a war.

Too often we let our guard down when things are going well. God’s blessings seem to overflow, we’re healthy, our family is good, maybe we’ve experienced a spiritual victory. Life is good!

Do we understand that is when we are the most vulnerable? That’s the time to sharpen our swords, to take out our Bibles and allow God to teach us and strengthen us. It’s the time to pray. Because the enemy will attack again. And that is no time to start a building project.