“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him...” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Have you ever heard a true story of a wonderful outcome that defied all odds or according to science and nature was unexplainable? I love stories of miracles. They are a reminder that I serve a God who has power over every situation in my life. To be blessed by miracle stories from the past and present, you can visit our miracles section.
Have you ever wondered, “Where’s my miracle? Would God do a miracle for me?” Scripture answers with an emphatic YES! In fact, the Bible says God is looking for someone He can work a miracle for! And He isn’t just glancing here and there. God is intently searching “throughout the whole earth,” to see if there is anyone for whom He can do a miracle, that He may show how powerful He is on their behalf: “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). This is not a promise for some future hope but a statement of fact. God is actively looking for a heart that is loyal to Him.
This promise originates in the story of King Asa in 2 Chronicles chapters 14–16. Asa, king of Judah, was the great-grandson of Solomon. At the beginning of his reign, Judah had peace for ten years. Instead of living a life of pleasure and amusements, as most kings did, Asa used his time wisely. He prepared himself and those around him for battle, both spiritually and physically. The king commanded idols to be torn down. He reinstated God’s law, fortified his cities, and trained an army of 580,000 “mighty men of valor.” King Asa used the time of peace to prepare for times of trouble ahead.
When an Ethiopian army of one million soldiers and three hundred chariots rose up against him, Asa was prepared. He did not trust in his physical preparations but instead cried out to God, saying, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You…” (2 Chronicles 14:11).
King Asa sought the Lord during the years of prosperity, and so he was able to rely upon God during time of trouble. “So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled” (2 Chronicles 14:12). God was able “to show Himself strong on behalf of” Asa, because Asa had been loyal to Him during the times of peace.
What Do You Do?
What do you do during your times of peace and prosperity? Is the time spent enjoying the pleasures and amusements of the world or preparing yourself spiritually? Do you spend time each day in prayer, in God’s Word, and testifying of Him to others? Are you prepared physically, as a faithful steward of the money He has given you? The coronavirus pandemic is a revealing test for us. What has been your response to the crisis? Have you trusted in your prior physical preparations—your savings or education for an “essential” job? Or have you relied on God alone?
I wish the story of Asa ended there. Sadly, after God granted Asa another 25 years of peace, the king became comfortable in his life of ease and forgot his need for God. He began trusting in God’s blessings instead of the God who gave him the blessings. When King Baasha came against him, “Asa withdrew the silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord” and gave them to Ben-hadad, the pagan king of Aram, to fight for him (2 Chronicles 16:2). When the crisis came the second time, Asa turned to his money to get him through, instead of turning to the God who gave him his money. Because of this lack of trust, and because he sought protection from the world instead of protection from God, no great miracle could be done on Asa’s behalf.
This same thing happened when Jesus went to Nazareth to preach in His hometown. He had been doing miracles everywhere else, but in Nazareth He could not do miracles because of their unbelief (Mark 6:5–6). Jesus wanted to heal the sick but was unable to because their hearts were not loyal to Him. God wants to work miracles for you. He wants to show Himself powerful on your behalf. He says, “Please give me your whole heart so I can do mighty things for you.” If you are not living by faith in Christ during the good times, how will you be able to live by faith when times are bad?
Call to Action
The story of Asa is a reminder to us that, while times are good, we too must prepare spiritually and physically. We must not lounge around thinking we will turn to God when the trouble comes. When disaster strikes, we will naturally turn to that which we have learned to find our security in — our money, job, education, friends, relatives, home or land. We need to train ourselves now to look to God for guidance in every situation, even in the good times when we think we have it all taken care of. Now is the time to prepare spiritually. Learn to hear and heed God’s voice, and walk humbly with Him, moment by moment. Now is the time to prepare physically, to get debt free, curb our spending, and move away from the turbulent cities. That way when Satan’s army of two hundred million (Revelation 9:16) marches around your land, you will have the faith to cry out to God, knowing He will work a miracle on your behalf.
Will you prepare your heart today? Get ready for God’s miracles!
All scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
