So they built.
“No one made war with him in all these days because the LORD gave him rest. So he said to the people of Judah, ‘Let’s build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we sought the LORD our God. We sought him and he gave us rest on every side.’ So they built and succeeded.” – 2 Chronicles 14:6-7, CSB
Peace: what’s it good for?
Asa was not naïve. There would likely be more war ahead. He understood that worshiping Yahweh, even wholeheartedly, was not a guarantee of a conflict-free life. Still, his kingdom was experiencing a season of peace, a peace that would last for ten years, though Asa could not know that future timeline. What should he do with the opportunity?
When God gives us peace and rest, what are we meant to do with it? Is rest a time for excess, for distraction? Of course there will be all kinds of advantages to peacetime in our lives: days of feasting and laughter, fun with friends and family, time for conversation, enjoying God’s creation, and time for telling and hearing stories. Please take advantage of these in God-honoring ways! But peacetime is also preparation time. “Let’s build these cities and fortify them,” Asa encouraged his people.
Build with that favor!
Rest enables God-honoring endeavor, work that builds up and fortifies us for the future. I love that Asa doesn’t use God’s favor as a distraction from God, but instead leads his people to build with the favor God has given them. When the next challenge comes – and in Asa’s case it will be an enemy with a one-million-man army (2 Chronicles 14:9)! – the preparations made in peacetime will serve all the people of God well. Persevering through times of ‘war’ is often the result of pursuing God and preparing well in times of rest.
Think:
Would you say your tendency is to seek God primarily in response to a crisis, or do you seek Him regularly in times of peace and rest too? Do you have any healthy structures that help you to seek Him regularly? What are they?
Do you have any systems or relational infrastructure in place to help prepare your family, ministry, or business to withstand times of external conflict? What are they?
Asa and his people took advantage of peacetime to build and to fortify. Think of one of the last significant conflicts or difficulties you faced. Are there things you wish you had in place to help you face that conflict well? How can you work together with others to begin building those protections and advantages for the future?
City-building takes coordination, with multiple gifts working in different ways. Asa’s words were, “Let us build…” If we want to build on a significant scale, it’s going to take a team! Who is your team, and what are you building together?
Prayer:
“Lord, thank You for times of peace and rest! Thank You for even the quiet moments of peace I can enjoy with you throughout any given day. In whatever peace You have granted me, help me to build well together with others in ways that prepare my heart, my family, and the community in which You have placed me to prosper and to persevere when trouble comes calling again. Thank You for the wisdom of Your Spirit that helps us to build well today for whatever the future may bring.”