He Went Out 

Not long ago, there was the dreaded knock at the home of some friends of ours. Two officers stood bringing news their daughter had fallen asleep while driving. They were needed immediately at the hospital. 

Maybe you are staring at an unexpected expense sure to devastate your bank account. Or maybe your job is tentative at best. A once solid relationship is showing signs of distress. Or maybe things are not working out like you planned. The weight of it all can leave you feeling dejected and overwhelmed.

These are not unusual experiences, but they can bring a sense of defeat that you and I have difficulty moving beyond. Sometimes ours is more than a feeling but a full-on reality where there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

The same conventional experiences took place in the days of the kings of Israel. Although a king, Asa very much resembles you and me. He believed God was faithful and trustworthy, except when he didn’t. That sizes most of us up right there. 

Today we zero in on Asa at a moment when the tunnel is very dark. The kingdom is about to be crushed by a bad guy and his one million troops. This is not an exaggeration. It’s one king and a measly army against a million. The odds were laughable. It wasn’t a contest, but an announced slaughter. Most would have built up the walls and held out in the stronghold to the bitter end. But that’s not what happened. 

Asa left the protected city, and went out to meet the horde. It seemed suicidal, but scholars believe his move was strategic, placing himself on more equal footing. The enemy location, the Valley of Zephathath at Mareshah, was too small for one million troops plus chariots to advance together. In terms of strategy, this was military genius. 

The king fully utilized his resources and every ounce of wisdom to participate in the event. He did not shrink back in discouragement, nor did he stay out of the battle because it seemed hopeless. 

He went out. 

When you and I feel defeated, we often shrink back and hunker down. Friend, don’t forget how God has been equipping you for just this occasion. 

Consider your present situation. What resources need to be utilized? How should you go out in your faith today, rather than shrinking back in defeat?