2 Chronicles 15:7 (NLT), “But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.”

2 Chronicles 15 tells the account of King Asa’s decision to courageously follow after God, and not give up, no matter how tempting the invitation to quit seemed. He was the 3rd king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and he had been facing many challenges, including wars and idolatry among his people. The problem of idolatry was very close to home for the king as his own mother had constructed an obscene Asherah pole for pagan worship. The prophet, Azariah, delivered a message from God to King Asa. He encouraged him to seek the Lord and be steadfast in His faith and devotion towards Him, doing what was right in His sight. If he would trust the Lord, and continue in His ways, his reign would be marked by God’s peace for the nation. King Asa obeyed the Word of the Lord and began a nationwide reform. He had false idols and false worship removed from the land; he repaired the altar of the Lord and called the people into a covenant with God. Verse 15 of 2 Chronicles 15 tells the result: “All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found Him. And the LORD gave them rest from their enemies on every side.” Now don’t for a moment think this step of deliberate obedience on the part of King Asa was easy to do. There was a reason why the prophet told him to be strong and courageous as he did the work of ‘cleaning house’. It was clear that someone closest to him, his mother, was certainly not onboard with his decisions. She must have put up quite a fight because we are told she ended up losing her position of honour, being Queen Mother, because she refused to concede. What’s more, he ended up having to force her idol from her, cut it down, break it up and burn it in the Kidron Valley, a valley associated with judgement, sorrow and death. Today, seeking the Lord and doing what is right in His sight certainly takes strength and courage. However, if we remain steadfast in our faith, walking in love and refusing to compromise, no matter how unpopular or challenging the decision - we will see the reward of the Lord. Just as all of Judah experienced peace and prosperity in the most challenging of times - we will too - because we choose to follow after the Lord, even in the face of adversity.