2 Chronicles 16:12

New King James Version

And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.

For Meditation 

As a student, I often traveled between the twin cities of Accra and Tema in Ghana. Along the seacoast was a wrecked fishing trawler. Over time, it dwindled in size. The constant pounding of the waves against the trawler chipped the rusting metals away and slowly diminished their size. After a long time, one could only see portions of it until it was no more. Though made of steel, the proud waves had slowly chipped away the trawler and dissolved it in the sea until it was no more. 

The process of attrition happens in many areas of life that we may not realize until the damage is done, and the worst is upon us. The wear and tear is insidious and is a typical problem with Christian commitment.

We start the Christian life well, depending on God, but slowly, we become careless. We become dependent on ourselves more than on Christ. Instead of making us more dependent on God, the blessings of God for our faithfulness make us heady and feel adequate in ourselves. It is an insidious disease that defies acceptance.

Christ, no more remains the reason for our decisions, though we claim so. Deep down our hearts, however, He is not. When we slice it, we will discover the actual master of our life—ourselves; and God hates it. A typical example of one person who suffered from what I call the attrition of faith is King Asa of Judah. We can observe this process in Asa’s life through three lenses: the blessing of a good beginning, his faith in times of crisis, and the downside of prosperity. 

One of the best kings of the southern kingdom, he started very well with God (2 Chron 14:2-5) but ended terribly (16:12-13). He did right in the eyes of God. The Lord assured him of his blessings as long as he continued depending on Him (15:1-2). However, Asa learned to form alliances that became his confidence when the enemy attacked Judah (16:1-4). He took issue with God’s rebuke and refused to seek His help when a terrible disease afflicted his foot and died (1 Chron 16:10-13). We will dive deep into the three stages of the life of the king in the coming days, drawing some lessons to help us through this Lent. In the meantime, I want us to meditate on these truths.

God demands His children to grow to trust and depend on Him in everything throughout our lives. Though we have strong faith, it is helpful to remember our vulnerability to the destructive waves of this world that pound our lives every day. We must watch out for the insidious attrition of our faith and guard against it for the glory of the Lord.