For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9
Because you relied on _________ and not on the Lord your God, _______ has escaped your hand. 2 Chronicles 16:7
Because King Asa relied on the King of Aram instead of God, the army of Aram escaped. I don’t know why this phrase led me to fill in the blanks with my own self reliance, but it was rather enlightening.
Because I relied on my Writer’s Group and not on the Lord my God,
the ability to write anything inspired over the last year has escaped from my hand.
Because I relied on my husband’s strength and abilities and on not on the Lord my God, the confidence to achieve things on my own has escaped from my hand.
Because I relied on my youth and not on the Lord my God, much health and vigor has escaped from my hand.
I don’t really look back with regret, but the passage of time has shown me that choices I made without including God have resulted in less than ideal circumstances.
However, I feel very blessed. In spite of my less than stellar choices, God does not count my sins against me. I am a new creation in Christ. The old days are gone. I seek his face more and more. I am more eager to please him. I have become Christ’s ambassador, bringing encouragement to others just as the prophet Azariah did for Asa.
But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7
Large numbers of Israelites returned to Asa when they saw God was with him. The entire world comes back to God through the blood of Christ. This is not just good news. This is GREAT NEWS.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Asa didn’t listen to the seer or seek the Lord God in his final years. This serves as a warning to me. It is not how I began my life journey, but how I finish, that is most important. Hopefully, learning from my godless past, will ensure that I lean on God for my future.
Thank you, God that I don’t have to produce my own righteousness, which would be like filthy rags anyway. Thank you that I am made righteous by the spotless blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. May we be nose to nose always. In Jesus precious Name, I pray.
yicareggie
Sixty-six books in a year 
I could even fill in the blanks like this:” Because I relied on SELF and not on the Lord my God, PEACE has escaped my hand.” It seems that I keep packing on the burdens and then complaining about carrying them. I’m worn out with doing it my way; but I’m thankful that confession and God’s forgiveness begin the process of removing this heaviness. In fact, I just remembered to “put on a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness…and sing in the spirit to magnify the Lord.” How freeing is that?!
Very! 🙂