A Great Start But A Bad Finish

Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 15 – 17

In chapters 15 – 17 of today’s passage we see the account of King Asa. He started out as a very good king, even going as far as removing his mother from being queen because of her idolatry. In fact in chapter 15, everything that is recorded about his reign as king is good. However, when we get to chapter 16, we see Asa faced with an imminent attack from his neighbor, the northern kingdom of Israel. Now in times past, whe Asa faced strong opposition, he trusted in God to deliver him; but here he does something completely out of character for him: he relies, not upon God, but upon another nation to deliver him. God was not too pleased with this, so he sent his prophet to rebuke Asa for his lack of faith. Instead of getting right with God, Asa gets angry and throws the prophet in jail. Not a very wise move. A few years later we find that Asa is “diseased in his feet”; but once again he goes to men (the physicians) instead of going to God. I think that the first mistake that Asa made could have been corrected with a little contrition and repentance; but instead it caused him to get angry and “dig in”; and it literally altered the rest of his life. His pride caused him to stay his course, instead of yielding to God’s will.

I wonder how many Christians today start out well, living their lives for the Lord; but something happens: maybe they make an error in judgment; or maybe just have a moment of weakness, and they sin against God. When they are confronted about it, instead of humbling themselves and getting it right, they “dig in”, refusing to admit that they did wrong. As a result they continue on a path of destruction, refusing to consider the possibility that they could be wrong. This then leads to more problems; not only for the person, but for their families as well.

As God’s people, why can’t we just pre-program ourselves to understand that we are going to blow it at times. We will never (in this life) lose our humanity; we will never arrive at sinless perfection. I think God understands our humanity more that we do. We are going to blow it eventually. It’s OK. We are human. But don’t get mad at your humanity; don’t get mad at the preacher, the church, or God. Get right! Run to God, not away from Him! Admit you blew it; pick yourself up; pay the consequences; and move on with your life. Why lose all of the blessings that God has in store for you simply because of your pride.

Asa – He Started Well, But Finished Poorly

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Today's Passage - 2 Chronicles 13 – 17; Proverbs 20 (Second Milers also read - Acts 13 – 15; Memorize - Proverbs 10:19) "And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and…

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Phil Erickson

Pastor Phil Erickson has been the pastor of Jersey Shore Baptist Church since January of 2002. Having grown up in Ocean County, Pastor Phil has always had a burden for the south Jersey area. After graduating from Bible College in Longview, Texas, he and his family moved to Galloway Township with the vision of digging in and serving the Lord and the people of Atlantic County. Pastor Phil and Cindy Erickson have been married since 1985. They have four children and ten grandchildren. Their oldest son, Phil Jr. and his wife Katelyn are serving the Lord in Egg Harbor Twp., NJ. Their oldest daughter, Melissa, is married to Wesley Clayton who is in the Air Force and is currently stationed in New Mexico. Samantha, their third child, is married to Justin Mears and they are both serving the Lord at the church in Galloway. Hannah, the youngest, is married to Lucas McCollum, and they are also serving here in Galloway. In preparation for ministry, the Lord led him through a variety of educational experiences that have equipped him to serve the Lord and His people. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgian Court University, a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Pastoral Theology from Texas Independent Baptist Seminary (formerly Texas Baptist College), a Master of Religious Education in Bible from West Coast Baptist College, and a Master of Biblical Studies from The Crown College. More recently, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Biblical Counseling and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Veritas Baptist College. He is thankful for these opportunities to study God’s Word more deeply, and counts it a privilege to use whatever knowledge the Lord has given him for the building up of His church. In addition to pastoring, the Lord has given Phil the wonderful privilege of teaching as an adjunct professor at Vision Baptist College in Berlin, NJ and Veritas Baptist College.

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Melissa Dilley says:

May 24, 2010 at 11:21 am

Thank you so much for this devotion! It is truly heartbreaking for me to see people going "through it" and making the wrong decisions. They just don't realize that the consequences of the sins of the father are handed down to their sons and their sons sons. I see others going "through it" and, as hard as it may be, they continue in the Lord. These are the families that God will bless and will see the fruit of their labor in generations to come.