Abraham Lincoln said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

Into this arena of power walk Asa and his son Jehosaphat. Both at different times stood as kings of Judah. It was said of them “they did what was right in the eyes of the Lord their God.” Yet in their last years when they could not only celebrate their past, but also enjoy the victories...they fell. They began to take situations into their own hands and not rely on the Lord. The past had clearly found them faithful, but the final chapter found them empty. Relying on ungodly men to get to their goals they were chastised by God. Forgetting to call upon Him and get His blessing before they made decisions was the key to their downfall.

How naive of us to think that we can’t fall. What will fend off stupid mistakes and help us finish the race well? One verse comes to mind Hebrews 12:1, 2. “Since we have we have such a huge crowd of men watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards.”

 
Let's Finish Well!