“And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians.”
II Chronicles 16:12 NKJV
There are a few ways to know that you’re getting older. The easiest is by your birthdate. As the years pass and you move farther away from the day of your birth, your body naturally ages. Another way to know is by how you understand things. You gain a more mature perspective in many areas of your life. For example, I’ve noticed that I have a greater appreciation for old hymns now compared to when I was a child. And this verse reminds me of that.
Asa was a great king of Judah. He succeeded other men, including his father Abijam, who did much evil in the sight of God. Asa was faithful and God allowed him to serve as king for 41 years. It’s interesting that this same faithful man who removed idols and other pagan paraphernalia from the kingdom lacked faith near the end. He leaned on men instead of going to God. While God indeed blesses physicians with the knowledge of medicine, He more importantly blesses us with full access to Him. He is our complete source, and should always be our first choice. If we treat Him as such we can then experience fullness of joy and the peace that surpasses all our understanding.
Or, as one of my favorite hymns, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” perfectly states:
“Oh, what peace we often forfeit.
Oh, what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry
EVERYTHING to God in prayer.”