Now is the Time

 2 Chronicles 15-16     Psalm 143     2 Corinthians 6

Asa was a king of Judah that listened to the voice of the Lord as spoken through the prophet and set out to seek the Lord and found him. After a period of time where Israel had abandoned following the Lord Asa called them back because the message was that nations would be crushed, and God would allow their cities to be troubled for abandoning his ways.

When Asa responds to the Words of the Lord and removes evil things from the nation God blesses them with peace and prosperity. He led the people to make a covenant with God to follow in the Lord’s ways.

After many years of peace brought about by the power of God another king comes to challenge the nation of Judah and Asa seeks the help of another king rather than looking to God to be their salvation. The result is the loss of peace and trouble for his remaining days.

David reminds us in song that no person is righteous, does everything right in God’s eyes, for we have all be led astray from the ways of God. That takes us to dark places where we feel it overwhelms our spirit. We look back and remember the good days and the powerful works of God we have experienced. It is then we reach out to God longing for a return to that relationship with him.

It is a cry for God to continue to teach us his ways and to do his will so that the name of the Lord will be glorified. When we do things God’s way it takes our soul out of trouble as a servant of the Lord.

We have been offered forgiveness by the grace of God. Not something we did, said and prayed but God offered to take away our punishment for sin. We are reminded that now is the acceptable time to accept God’s offer of grace and salvation, being set right with God, so that we will not be an offense to others and our ministry discredited.

The challenge is not an easy one and will take those that follow Jesus on difficult paths that are filled with suffering at times. We are to concentrate on the good and right way as God has taught us. We are turn away from the ways of those that choose not to believe and put their trust in God. When we turn back to God, he will welcome us into a wonderful relationship with him and we will be his sons and daughters in the faith.

Now it the time to get right with God by seeking his will and his way of life. When we turn from trying to shape God in our image and begin to allow God to shape us in his image, as we were created to do, we find amazing blessings and joy.