II Chronicles 15:12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul
Five days ago, I was at a drive thru in Tucson, Arizona. The young man serving us was very good, efficient, and kind, and things were going well. Just before we left him, I handed him a little pamphlet that had the gospel on it, a tract. Immediately and obviously, his countenance just changed. His face was still in a forced smile, but his eyes totally changed. It was so obvious, I almost felt bad. I hoped I hadn’t turned him off to the gospel. His smile was saying, “Have a good day,” but his eyes were saying, “What in the world are you doing? What kind of a bother are you?”
All of us know the feeling of someone who is smiling at you but is not smiling, who shakes your hand but is not really shaking your hand, who is not really looking at you but looking through you. All of us know the experience of half-hearted kindness. Nothing half-hearted is healthy, whether it is love or war. If someone is half-hearted in a war, the war will be lost.
Second Chronicles 15 tells the story of King Asa. In II Chronicles 14-15 Asa sought the Lord with all his heart, although things changed over time. II Chronicles 14:2 says that he “did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.” Subsequently, as is often the case with young kings, he was tested. He was tested by a military force many times the size of his own. Asa and his people relied on God alone, and God gave them a marvelous victory.
Subsequently, when Asa had won the victory and God had sent a word to him to take courage, II Chronicles 15:12 says, “And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.” This is repeated in II Chronicles 15:15. Asa and his people sought the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart. What does “with all their heart” mean? It means “both of two parts.” In Asa’s case there was a negative and a positive part of his whole heart.
For instance, in chapter 14 he “brake down the images” of the idols in verse 3, and in verse 6 he “built the fenced cities in Judah.” So, he broke down so that he might build up. One is necessary to the other. In chapter 15, verse 8 says, “And when Asa heard these words…of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.” So, he put away the idols and renewed the altar of the Lord. It was both positive and negative.
That is true in my life and your life today. Seeking God with all your heart means both of two parts. The Bible tells us whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we should do it all to the glory of God. Be wholehearted. Hating sin is important, but it is not the same as loving God. If we take this literally, if I am really hating sin, that should be the result of loving God, but sometimes when I hate sin, it is someone else’s sin, not mine. I am angry at someone else’s sin, but I don’t love God.
Other times we “love God” but it is a sentiment. Loving God is incomplete without siding with God. So, if we love the Lord, we need to depart from evil. If we depart from evil, that is not enough if I don’t have an aminating love of God. So, we must hate sin and love God, not just one or the other. All of your heart means both of two parts. It is so easy to be involved in good things. We give money to our church, do some ministry, or give of ourselves, and think that is enough. Nothing half-hearted is healthy. God wants your whole heart. God doesn’t want yours; God wants you.
The Bible tells us that Asa and his people gathered the spoil from the victory God had given them and gave all of it to God. That’s wonderful, but God doesn’t want yours, He wants you. God doesn’t need your time, your talents, your money, or your sacrifice. All these things are good, don’t misunderstand, but God is not needy. He will not be incomplete without you. God doesn’t need you; He loves you. Most people love people whom they also need. God loves you, but God does not need you. So, the response in your heart today should be to seek God with all of your heart. All of your heart means both of two parts, hating sin and loving God.