Picture this: You’re facing an impossible situation. The odds are stacked against you 2-to-1, maybe worse. Your resources are limited, your options are few, and humanly speaking, there’s no way out. Now imagine discovering that the Creator of the universe is actively scanning the earth, searching for someone just like you – not because you’re perfect, but because your heart is completely His.
This isn’t wishful thinking or motivational fluff. This is the reality that King Asa discovered when he faced a million-man army with only 600,000 soldiers. And it’s the same reality available to every believer who understands what it means to be consistent in their faith walk.
The Foundation: Understanding God’s Heart for His People
When Jesus taught about prayer in Matthew 7, He made something crystal clear: God is a good Father who wants to bless His children. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?”
Think about that for a moment. If an earthly father – who could be flawed, selfish, or even evil – still knows how to give good gifts to their children, how much more does our perfect heavenly Father want to bless us? Jesus even said in Luke, “Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.”
Yet here’s the question that should make us all uncomfortable: If God wants to bless us so much, why don’t we put Him first in our lives? Why is God always second, third, or relegated to those moments when we finally have nothing else going on?
The Pattern: When We’re Consistent, God Shows Up
King Asa’s story in 2 Chronicles 14-16 reveals a powerful pattern that runs throughout Scripture. When Asa first took the throne, the Bible says he “did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God.” He tore down idols, removed high places, and told the people to seek the Lord and follow His commands.
The result? “The kingdom experienced peace under him… because the Lord gave him rest.” Notice that – it wasn’t Asa’s military strategy, his political savvy, or his economic policies. The Lord gave him rest.
The Million-Man Test
Then came the ultimate test. Zerah the Kushite approached with an army of one million men and 300 chariots. Asa had 580,000 troops total. In today’s terms, imagine facing down twice your numbers with no hope of reinforcements, superior technology, or tactical advantage.
But here’s what Asa did that changed everything: “Asa cried out to the Lord his God.” Not to his advisors. Not to seek a diplomatic solution. He went straight to God with this prayer: “Lord, there is no one besides you to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, Lord our God, for we depend on you.”
The result was total victory. Not just a narrow win – the Bible says the Cushites “had no survivors” and Asa’s army came back with so much plunder they looked like they’d won the lottery.
The Promise: God’s Eyes Are Searching
After this incredible victory, God sent a prophet to Asa with a message that should be written on the heart of every believer: “The eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His.”
Read that again slowly. God is actively searching the earth right now, looking for people whose hearts are completely His. Not perfect people – consistent people. People who worship Him with the same passion when things are good as when they desperately need Him.
What Does Consistency Look Like?
Psalm 34:8-10 gives us the blueprint: “Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him. You who are His holy ones fear Yahweh, for those who fear Him lack nothing… those who seek the Lord will not lack any good thing.”
This isn’t about a casual relationship with God. It’s about taking refuge in Him – making Him your first response, not your last resort. It’s about living in the awe of God (that’s what “fear” means here) consistently, not just when life gets scary.
The Warning: Don’t End Like Asa
Here’s where Asa’s story takes a tragic turn, and why it’s so relevant for us today. After 36 years of walking with God and experiencing His blessings, Asa faced another challenge. Instead of going to God like he had before, he made a political alliance with a pagan king.
When a prophet confronted him about it, reminding him of God’s past faithfulness, Asa threw the prophet in prison and started mistreating people. He had gotten comfortable. He thought his track record with God meant he could handle things his own way.
Three years later, Asa developed a foot disease. Even then, the Bible says, “he did not seek the Lord but only the physicians.” He died two years later, having wasted the final five years of his 41-year reign living independently from the God who had blessed him for decades.
Biblical Takeaways: Living as God’s Holy Ones
The story of King Asa teaches us several crucial lessons about consistent faith:
God fights battles we can’t win on our own – When we depend on Him completely, He shows up in ways that defy human logic and possibility.
Consistency matters more than perfection – God isn’t looking for people who never mess up; He’s looking for people whose hearts are steadfast and completely His.
Don’t get comfortable in blessing – Success and blessing can become spiritual traps if they lead us to depend less on God rather than more.
Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort – Asa’s greatest victories came when he cried out to God first, and his greatest failures came when he tried to handle things on his own.
The Challenge: Where Is Your Heart Today?
As you read this, God’s eyes are roaming the earth, looking for hearts that are completely His. The question isn’t whether you’re perfect – it’s whether you’re consistent. Are you seeking Him with the same passion when life is good as when you’re facing a crisis?
Maybe you’re facing your own “million-man army” right now – a financial crisis, a health scare, a relationship that’s falling apart, or a decision that feels impossible. Or maybe things are going well, and you’ve unconsciously started depending more on your circumstances than on God.
Either way, the invitation is the same: Take refuge in the Lord. Make Him your first response. Stay consistent in the things of God, not just when you need Him, but especially when you don’t think you do.
What area of your life have you been trying to handle on your own strength instead of crying out to the Lord first? And what would it look like to make God your consistent refuge rather than your emergency contact?
Peace,
Todd