II 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.
A Healthy Memory
The problems ahead of us almost always seem bigger, and certainly more intimidating, than the problems that are behind us. That’s because the problems ahead are unknown while the problems behind us are just memories, even if they are bad memories. Most of us assume that the problems of today will be bigger and worse than the problems of yesterday. That makes it so important for a child of God to cultivate both a dependence upon God for the future and a memory of what God has done in the past. A healthy memory means that you have even more reason to trust God today.
In II Chronicles 16 we read about a generally good king who had a poor ending. The Bible tells us that “the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.” Asa had trusted God in the past to deliver him from a vast army of invaders, but somehow he did not trust God for a much smaller problem that came to him later on. Even though he had experience at God’s provision, he chose not to trust God when a new situation confronted him. II Chronicles 16:1 says, “Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.”
Baasha was Asa’s counterpart in the other part of the splintered kingdom of Israel. There was a civil war going on. Baasha intended to blockade Judah and Asa. What should Asa do? Asa took the treasure out of God’s house and sent it to the king of Syria so that he would partner with Asa and save him. How ironic!
A child of God who will not trust Him is living out a cruel irony. Here is Asa, taking the treasure of God and giving it to the enemy of God so that he will partner with him against his own brother. Even though God gave Asa victory over a huge army in the past, Asa now trusted the enemy of God to give him deliverance over a much smaller army! Asa should have remembered what God had done for him in the past. If Asa could trust God with the huge problems of his past, then why would he not be able to trust God with a much smaller problem now?
If you won’t learn from your experience, then it may well be that what will bring you down is a smaller problem you refuse to trust God with. The bottom line is that a healthy memory is vital to trusting God.
II Chronicles 16:9 says, “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.” Today, trust God for the future and be mindful of what He has done for you in the past.