2nd Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
This passage of scripture represents the response given by God to king Asa, through one of His prophets, for the sin of relying on the arm of flesh in times of national difficulty. Asa and Judah were being besieged by Baasha, king of Israel, and instead of turning to God in a time of grave danger, he instead decided to bribe Benhadad, king of the Syrians to war against Baasha, thus distracting him from putting a strangle hold on Judah. Let's read:
2nd Chronicles 16:2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 3 There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 4 And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.
Even though king Asa procured the desired result using alternative methods, yet His reliance on man instead of God opened the flood gates of war and misery, and the rebuke thus given by The Lord is fraught with instruction for us today. America is currently comprised of approximately 75% Christians, yet there is a tendency to depend on the arm of flesh in times of national danger. We now have a crisis at our borders, the diplomatic efforts being made to bring peace to the middle east are failing miserably, and the dangerous situation in Ukraine seems to have no viable solution.
In times of national perplexity, the Lord expects us to make efforts to resolve the issues at hand, but He also desires that we first pray, asking Him for guidance, direction, and deliverance where necessary, for what is of the utmost importance in any relationship with God, is the disposition to rely fully on Him, and to turn to Him first in times of peril, for when this is done, it manifests a steadfast reliance on God instead of man. And this important lesson can also be applied on a personal level too. When the former Whitney Houston realized she had a drug problem that just wouldn't go away, she would have found deliverance in Christ if she had turned to Him with all her heart, for it is God who originally gave her the ability to sing. But instead she relied on the many man-made systems of drug rehabilitation, which as we all know, do not guarantee the desired results, as manifested in her untimely and unfortunate demise.
The Bible teaches us what to do in times of personal or national difficulty, and if we are humble enough to follow God's instructions, He would be more than willing to intervene in behalf of the land of the free, and the home of the brave. Let's read:
2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
May we ever adopt the counsel here given, for God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and just as he delivered the Jews from the oppression of the Egyptians, He can also deliver us from all our oppressors, if we turn to Him with all our hearts. "Good night" and God bless!