The Bitter Lie of Self-Reliance - 2 Chronicles 16

The Bitter Lie of Self-Reliance - 2 Chronicles 16

"In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians."

When I read this passage my heart sinks for Asa - and those who are offended with God's discipline and correction.  Asa was corrected for his actions - that he turned to himself and human means rather than turning to God - to embracing weakness - to embracing a situation where he would have to turn to God in prayer for answers. 

Earlier in his ministry Asa did turn to God when the Ethiopians attacked with over a million men.  That had to be difficult to experience - facing the thought of your own annihilation - of being so weak and unable to defend yourself - and facing the uncertainty of whether you would survive the attack of the enemy or not.  BUT THAT IS HOW GOD WORKS - HE GIVES US TIMES OF WEAKNESS INTENTIONALLY - SO THAT WE HAVE TO EMBRACE BEING WEAK - BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE WEAK IN OURSELVES - WE BECOME STRONG IN HIM.

The problem was that Asa did not want to embrace weakness the second time he faced terrible odds - and the necessity of turning to God.  He was proud - and that pride manifested itself when God corrected him.  He became angry with God - angry with God's prophet - and eventually angry with even serving God later in his life.

God allowed another need to come upon Asa - a disease in his feet.  How appropriate for his situation - diseased in his walk in life/even as he was becoming more diseased in his walk with God.  He would not turn to God in prayer for this situation - only to the doctors.  He spent, amazingly, the last 2 years of his life in this affliction and even died of it - rather than turn to God.  His bitterness consumed him - first spiritually - and then even physically. 

Am I willing to embrace weakness?  Is pride an issue in my life?  I hate to admit it but I know that it is.  I don't like being weak - don't like being reduced to nothing save God in prayer.  I want to be able to do some things myself (which is nothing more than an excuse to want to do all things myself - the deadliness of pride!).  Being reduced to nothing - and seeking God in those circumstances to be my everything is meant to be gloriously hard.  It is embracing humility - total humility!  And . . . if I will not embrace it - I will find myself diseased in my spiritual feet.  I will be unable to walk.  I will not turn to my God for that - and then eventually won't turn to Him for anything.  All I will have is man-made deliverance - man-made hope - and that is precious little (actually nothing) deliverance and hope. 

Embrace humility!  Embrace being little . . . being nothing . . . so God will be everything.  He is everything - it is only the brief deception and mist of lies of this life that makes us ever think otherwise. 

God have mercy on me!  I've been so filled with pride.  I have been so filled with self-importance and lying self-sufficiency!  Oh the sad state of my feet - and my ability to walk in humility, brokenness, and self-emptying trust and prayer before You.  Please forgive me the arrogance, pride, and foolishness of this way.  Restore me to full reliance upon You - upon Your infinite resources - and upon a life lived in complete dependence on Your grace.