Finishing Strong
It always concerns me to read of someone in either the Old or New Testament who starts very strongly in their relationship with God, but finishes poorly. It means that except for the Grace of God, I can do the same. Here is Asa who early in his life does something I'm not sure I could do. He leads an army into battle against a superior enemy while depending on the LORD. Likely, I would have gone the other way. But then, over time, something slips away...he begins to rely more on himself and his own devices. When threatened again, he takes gold and silver and pays off another king. Why the change? We'll never know for sure, but it illustrates that even the best of us can start strong and finish weak. One of the keys is maintaining our hearts in reliance upon God. We are told here (and I like the Message version)... that God is constantly looking for people whose hearts are totally committed to Him. Commitment means not only obedience, but reliance on Him. He promises that He will take care of us, if only we trust in Him. We finish strong by realizing that we are weak and in great need of Him. Let's hope and pray we never forget that.
