Fully Committed?

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. [2 Chronicles 16.9a]

Most followers of Christ are aware that we are told to seek the Kingdom of God as a priority (Matthew 6.33). But how often do we stop to consider that God seeks a certain kind of person as a priority?

2 Chronicles 16.9 reveals that God is constantly on lookout for people whose hearts are fully committed to Him so He might strengthen them. 

The context of 2 Chronicles 16.9 is the event when King Asa of Judah paid for the help of King Ben-hadad of Aram to defend Judah from Baasha, king of Israel instead of relying on God alone as he had earlier in his encounter with Ethiopia.

Once an Ethiopian named Zerah attacked Judah with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. They advanced to the town of Mareshah, so Asa deployed his armies for battle in the valley north of Mareshah. Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!” So the LORD defeated the Ethiopians in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled. [2 Chronicles 14.9-12]

It is worth noting that Asa, in his own words, addressed God above specifically as follows (note what is underlined): “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”

Hanani's reminder to Asa in 2 Chronicles 16.9 (and in the full context of Hanani's rebuke) was that Asa had trusted God fully prior to this event with Baasha, but now by seeking the help of Ben-hadad, was no longer fully trusting God.

It is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11.6). And, it is conclusive from Asa's story here that it is also impossible to please God with partial faith (trusting partly in God and partly in man).

I am implicated here for my partial trust in God. In keeping with modern Christian culture, I say I trust God, but I still seek the help of man. 

Somehow, it doesn't seem exemplary to give God kudos for His part... Fully trusting individuals are what God seeks. 

I want to be what God seeks. It will only happen when I make a concentrated effort to fully and only trust Him.

Asa's example should serve as a sober warning. According to the Bible, Asa's divided trust eventually devolved into no trust at all in God:

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the LORD’s help but turned only to his physicians. [2 Chronicles 16.12]

So, it is worth repeating here: I want to be what God seeks. It will only happen when I make a concentrated effort to fully and only trust Him.

Father, forgive me for divided trust in You. Forgive me for not defending the honor of Your Name as David did when facing Goliath, when he risked annihilation just to defend his undivided trust in You. Forgive me for instead being like Asa and seeking the help of man. Forgive me for heeding the voices of human reason that declare "It's not wrong to seek man's help." Forgive me for the pathetic faithlessness I have been convinced is "wisdom." Oh God my Father, please strengthen me - help me reject the help of man so that I might demonstrate what pure undivided faith in You looks like. May Your glory be seen!