“But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”
–Second Chronicles 15:7
Before you pop your fireworks, I need to fire off some thoughts for your consideration. We are a nation on a collision course with a Holy God!
Darron LaMonte Edwards
Second Chronicles highlights a nation that exists without the blessings of God. After three great kings (Saul, David, and Solomon) there was a succession, a split in Israel. Ten tribes remained in Israel and the other two tribes became Judah.
This country (Israel) is now filled with conflict and confusion. As it relates to the United States, we are not one nation under God. First, I don’t believe we are “under God”. Second, we are not one nation. We are divided by political party, white supremacy, and economic depravity. We are a nation in conflict. Everybody is on edge! Grandmaster Flash said it best “Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge… I’m trying not to lose my head… huh huh huh… It’s like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under!”
People are constantly looking to pick a fight. From your house to the schoolhouse to the church house to the White House.
Instead of collaboration, we are people filled with consternation and a desire for confrontation. When I meet with high-ranking police officials across the country, there’s always one in the group who will pull me aside and say “So, a preacher is here to tell me how to run my police department?”
My consistent response is “No, I’m not here to tell you how to run your police department – but I am here to tell you how God expects you to treat His creation since you run this police department!”
Corruption comes when there is no recognition of God. When there is not God our minds are sinful, our eyes are lustful, our tongues are poisonous, our necks are stiff, our hearts are cold, our hands are bloody, our feet run swift to mischief, and our souls can’t be saved.
Kristopher Roller / Unsplash
I am one who believes that we have the assignment to restore God’s blessing to a nation. In Second Chronicles 15, the man of the hour who says we better get things right is King Asa.
King Asa writes national reforms based upon three overarching principles: removal, renewal, and revival.
King Asa removed the idols. An idol is anything that takes God’s place. A constitution, a denomination, a Christian flag, a radical philosophy – any of these things could be an idol. We need to look deep within our nation and see all the idols we have put in the place of God.
After removal, there must be renewal. Asa renovated the house of worship. There were broken steps that led up to the altar. For the altar to be in a state of disrepair meant they couldn’t even take the first step in seeking the Lord. There must be a renewal in the church. One writer said that 98% of what goes on in church can happen without the involvement of the Holy Spirit. If this is true, we are in trouble with our Western view of Christianity.
Then King Asa reunited the people. He gathered everyone together. In the hyper-political, Divided States of America, it would be so refreshing to have someone who is genuinely trying to reunite God’s people.
Finally, there was a revival in the land. No, not a never-ending church service! Verse 19 says that God honored Asa’s work and God blessed the nation with 35 years of peace.
Can you imagine 35 years of no fighting in your family, your workplace, your community, your city, your state, our nation, our world? Is it worth the effort?
Hi. My name is Pastor Darron LaMonte Edwards – my desire is to be an Asa and I need your help.
Darron L. Edwards, Sr. is lead pastor of United Believers Community Church in Kansas City, Missouri.
