December 3, 2018
By Steve King
Did you know that the Bible teaches that God is constantly looking for people to strongly support? Who would not be delighted to know that the entirely good and trustworthy Creator and Controller of all things is constantly marshaling His infinite power to sustain you?
I was enlivened by this truth recently, when the words from 2 Chronicles 16:9 marched into my mind and filled me with overflowing hope: “The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”
This scriptural promise came from the inspired prophet, Hanani, to King Asa of Judah, over 800 years before Christ. Even though the promise was not made to us, it is for us, because all Scripture is profitable for us and all the promises of God are yes to us in Christ (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 1:20).
Asa faithfully led his nation by fully trusting God for 35 years, and the Lord fully supported him by defeating their enemies and giving them peace (2 Chron 14-15). Yet, in Asa’s 36th year as king, he compromised, relying on a military alliance with Ben-Hadad of Damascus instead of trusting God. That is when Hanani confronted Asa and reminded him of God’s desire to fully support those who fully trust Him. However, Hanani added, “You have acted foolishly and from now on you will have wars.”
The promise of God’s full support is made to those who fully trust Him. But do any of us fully trust God?
This is where the good news of Jesus comes in to rescue us!
Jesus’ heart was completely yielded to God and thus the Father fully supported Him. Jesus does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. When we place our “mustard seed of faith” in Jesus and His work on our behalf, we are placed “in Christ” and all His trust in the Father is imputed to us (Romans 4-5; Colossians 3)! In addition, He gives us new hearts to trust God, and we can count on His promises to never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5; Rom 8:31-39; John 10:27-30).
This Advent season look to Jesus and rejoice! Because of Him, we can know that the entirely good and trustworthy Creator and Controller of all things is constantly marshaling His infinite power to sustain us!