As we get older, trusting God in stressful times is not a given. The story of Asa is a sobering example.

3 min read

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

Asa was a young dude with a lot of responsibility when he got the heavy news. A million soldiers were marching against him and his people with takeover on their minds.

Literally, a million.

But amazingly, Asa did not panic. With a calm and a poise about him, he deployed his own forces for engagement. Then Asa prayed. He prayed from his heart this excellent prayer:

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. 2 Chronicles 14:11

Though Asa was a young man, he prayed a seasoned, old man’s prayer. It was a prayer of deep confidence in the presence of God and the ability of God to intervene should he choose to do so. It was a prayer in faith that only God could handle the situation. It was too big, too complicated, and the odds were too lopsided. Mere human resources would not be enough.

And God heard Asa’s prayer. It was a glorious win against the bad guys. They turned tail and ran while Asa and his men took home the plunder.

This is what we could call Asa 1.0, the version of Asa that trusted God resolutely.

But sadly, there was another version of Asa. Years later, when he was once again confronted with a crisis situation, for some reason he handled it differently. Instead of trusting God and praying like he did before, this time he did it man’s way: He played politics. He skipped the prayer and went right to buying his way into a military alliance with a neighbor. He figured, why look to God when you can just buy the help? Asa was an old man responding to crisis like a foolish young man.

This was Asa 2.0.

What a difference in the two versions! Asa 1.0 trusted God. Asa 2.0 trusted man. Asa 1.0 was desperate for God’s help. Asa 2.0 thought man’s ways would be better.

How sad that Asa trusted God less on the back end of his life than on the front end. Even with all that he had seen God do on his behalf, Asa’s faith lapsed when life went sideways.

We all have two versions

But lest we be too critical, it could happen to us as well if we’re not careful. We also have two versions.

Like Asa, some of us may feel like we’re up against lopsided odds. As we look at our lives and the state of the world these days, it can feel like 1 versus 1,000,000. It can be hard to have faith and keep believing that all things are possible with God.

But with which version will we respond? The 1.0 version that turns to God and trusts Him to do what only He can do? Or, will it be the 2.0 version, the one that leaves God out and then proceeds to handle our situations the world’s way?

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6

May the Lord help us to go with the 1.0 version today.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.