We're gonna need a bigger boat

 Reading through 2 Chronicles, I was  moved and convicted by the character of King Asa.  If you're not familiar with 1st and 2nd Chronicles, it captures the stories of the various kings of Israel.  Let me tell you, it's a real mixed bag.  While some of the kings manage (almost by accident it seems at times) to 'do what was right', most of them fail miserably and fall into idolatry or worse.  Asa is an exception to this.  Despite a dubious upbringing (his mother worshiped  idols)  Asa trusted God and did what was right.  2 Chronicles 14 captures Asa's faithful and obedient actions taking away the foreign high places of idol worship and leading the children of Israel into victorious battle.  

The height of Asa's faith is captured in verse 11.  Before battle against a vastly superior adversary, Asa prays, "O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak.  Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you." Asa goes on to win the battle in a stunning victory.  I wish  his story ended there, but unfortunately Asa's tale takes a turn for the worse.

After 36 years of ruling and reforming Israel, Asa was once again confronted with a military threat by a superior enemy.  This time, instead of repeating his prayer that was so effective before, Asa offers an alliance to a fellow king.  Hanani the seer came to the king and told him his choice was foolish; instead of trusting in the Lord, Asa trusted in a bigger army.  Because of this, he was destined to never know peace.

This really struck me as I thought about my approach to practical problems.  When something comes up at work, my reflex is to look for a practical solution to the problem.  Asa thought he had a simple problem; his army was too small!  What do you do when you have an army that is too small? You get a bigger army.  This seems like a very rational solution.  However, Asa didn't have a small army  problem.  As Hanani tells him, past experience could have told him that the size of the army is immaterial to God.  Asa had a trusting God  problem.  God was waiting to hear from Asa and waiting to answer, but Asa never came to him.

This picture is captures what came to mind when I thought of this.  I pictured myself in a boat bailing away as fast as I can while the boat fills. If only I had a bigger bucket!  I think to myself.  Of course, the solution to a leaky boat isn't a bigger bucket but a repaired boat.  Wanting a bigger bucket shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the problem! This is what I have been praying through the last few weeks.  I want to take my mundane real world concerns to God first and ask him for help.  I don't want to  spend every day casting about for practical solutions and miss out on the real one.  

In this way, I hope to learn from King Asa's example and put my faith in God.  

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you.

2 Chronicles 16:7