None Like You

"There is none like You, O Lord; You are great, and your name is great in might" (Jeremiah 10:6 ESV).

In 2 Chronicles we learn about two choices made by King Asa that had different outcomes. The first moment of decision came when Asa was facing the enormous million man army from Ethiopia, led by Zerah. “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you” (2 Chronicles 14:9-11 ESV). The result of King Asa’s choice to place his trust in God resulted in the Lord defeating the Ethiopians! (see 2 Chronicles 14:12).

This theme of choosing to rely on God and the blessings that follow appears throughout scripture. Just prior to King Asa’s reign, we read of King Abijah’s choice to rely on God, which resulted in Judah’s victory over Israel. “Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 13:18 ESV).

Have you ever experienced a moment of victory only to be confronted with a mountain larger than the one you just climbed? A trial bigger than the one that just subsided? A financial prayer answered, only to find another bill in the mail? One health problem quiets, only to have another one rise up in its place?

Sometimes it takes a big trial to be given the opportunity to rely fully on God and experience His power. King Asa experienced this when he faced the army of one million men! Yet as he chose to cry out to God, acknowledging who God is, the Lord fights for Him and victory is his. What is mind boggling is that just a short time later Asa makes the complete opposite decision and chooses to rely on man rather than the God, who just rescued him. The outcome of his decision is that he completely loses the opportunity to conquer Syria.

"At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, 'Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He gave them into Your hand (2 Chronicles 16:7-8? ESV).

Investigating the bread of God’s promises is one of my favorite things to do! Every promise made to us in the Scriptures is the delicious filling of our favorite sandwich. However, we miss out on its fullness if we pick out the middle and forget the top and bottom piece of bread to go with it. One of the encouraging verses I have received from loving friends over the years is 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro run throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him" (ESV).

This promise is placed just after King Asa’s decision to rely on man over God. Almost as if it was a gentle reminder that God is always present, always willing and able to help. We are asked to keep our eyes on Him, seeking Him with our whole hearts. He is a very present help (see Psalm 46:1).

The bottom piece to this promise is a sobering reminder of the outcome of not having a heart that seeks to rely on the Lord, “You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars” (2 Chronicles 16:10 ESV). King Asa sadly never repented to make the right choice. He ended up with a disease that he sought only physicians' help rather than God’s, even when it became severe, resulting in death. His reign begins with trusting in God, and his life ends with trusting in man.

How often have I been tempted to trust in man without consulting God, especially during seasons of affliction that stretch on? In my marathon running years, I would mentally break the race up into segments to make it seem more manageable. The most difficult miles were miles twenty to twenty-two. Endurance became shaky. I had come so far, but I could not yet see the finish line. Once that finish line was in sight, my legs were strengthened with new bursts of energy. I knew I could make it! Faith and unbelief are often in tension with each other when we find ourselves climbing the hill at miles twenty to twenty two in our marathon called life. Jesus is our finish line! In our mind’s eye, we can bring Him and the glory of eternity into focus. “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 ESV).

Oh to finish well this race marked out for us! That we would not be shaken by our circumstances, but rather make the choice again and again to trust the One who is more than able! Because He is our help, we will sing in the shadow of His wings (see Psalm 63:7). We can join Jeremiah in his declaration:

"Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not He, O Lord our God? We set our hope on you for you do all these things" (Jeremiah 14:22 ESV).

The same God, who inhabited the Apostle Paul, resides in us. Shipwrecked, cold, hungry, naked, stoned, imprisoned, and flogged...just to name a few that come to mind. This intensifies the power of Paul's statement, "To this day I have had the help that comes from God" (Acts 26:22 ESV). What a declaration of who God is! The same God who carried Paul through every trial endured, will carry us. “Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD. For there is none like You…" (2 Samuel 7:22).

Jesus, You are our strength and our stronghold, our refuge in the day of trouble (see Jeremiah 16:19). Let us trust You when we face circumstances a million men strong. May we trust You in the dark and the hard, when the hill seems too big, and when the waiting feels too long…for there is none like You.