Wholehearted

Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. – 2 Chronicles 15:17

What an epitaph! Of all the statements one could place on his or her tombstone, this would have to be the greatest. To have it be said that you never quit in the face of difficulty, never compromised under pressure, never recanted in the face of persecution, never cut moral corners to achieve your aims, never bent the truth to make a point, never gave your "half" when your "whole" was needed, never pretended to be something you're not. That is integrity.

Yet, when it was within his power to consolidate the worship of Yahweh, to outlaw and forbid idolatry, Asa stopped short. Perhaps, Jewish culture had degraded to the point where, as king, he could not proscribe a remedy that required individual assent (see yesterday’s post). It is also likely that political unity required corporate compromise and acceptance of some actions and attitudes that were not harmful (at least, on the surface).

We can only observe what God has seen fit to record. It seems that King Asa was, like David, a man after God’s own heart. May we be so committed. Lord, make us wholehearted.

Jesus Christ has bought us with His blood, but, alas, He has not had His money's worth! He paid for all, and He has had but a fragment of our energy, time, and earnings. By an act of consecration, let us ask Him to forgive the robbery of the past, and let us profess our desire to be henceforth utterly and only for Him – His slaves, owning no master other than Himself. – F.B. Meyer