Seeking Help in the Right Place

Reflection

What do you do when you are in need of help? It could be any kind of help, protection, financial, emotional. Usually, we reach out to someone close for aid or maybe brainstorm ways to get the help we need. While there’s nothing wrong with seeking help from others, in 2 Chronicles 16, we see King Asa making a mistake in how he sought help.

King Asa was facing a serious military threat from King Baasha of Israel. Instead of relying on God, who had been faithful to him in the past, he sought the help of King Ben-Hadad of Syria. Asa used the treasures from the temple to bribe the Syrian king into breaking his alliance with Israel and attacking them. At first, it seemed like a wise move—the Syrian army defeated Israel, and Asa seemed to have solved his problem. But the prophet Hanani came to him with a word from the Lord, calling his actions foolish.

What Asa failed to realize was that his trust should have been in the Lord, not in human alliances or treasures. God’s eyes are constantly looking for those whose hearts are devoted to Him so that He can show His strength on their behalf. Asa, instead of trusting in God’s power, relied on his own plans and resources.

As believers, we often face the temptation to do the same. When challenges arise, we may be quick to look for solutions in people or circumstances, forgetting that our true help comes from God alone. He wants us to trust Him, even when it seems easier to rely on our own efforts. I know I have been there many times—calling on family or friends for comfort or advice. It’s as if I need an ally to make me feel at ease or bring peace in my situation. Yet, I fail to realize that seeking the Lord should have been my first response.

We all need reminders to turn to God first. His strength is greater than anything we can muster on our own, and He is always ready to show Himself strong on our behalf when we put our trust in Him.