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2 Chronicles 15:2a - God Seeks a Relationship.

2 Chronicles 15:2a; God Seeks a Relationship.

2 Chr 15:2a (NIV)  The LORD is with you when you are with him. 
If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, 
he will forsake you. 

2 Chr 15:2a (NRSV)  The LORD is with you, while you are with 
him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon 
him, he will abandon you. 

2 Chr 15:2a (AMP)  The Lord is with you while you are with Him. 
If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him, craving Him as your 
soul's first necessity], He will be found by you; but if you [become 
indifferent and] forsake Him, He will forsake you. 

CONTEXT

King Asa of Judah
Ethiopian Invasion Repulsed
The Prophet Azariah Warns Asa
Asa's Religious Reforms  (15:1-19)

CROSS REFERENCES

1 Chron. 28:9 (KJV)  And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God 
of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a 
willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all 
the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found 
of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.  

2 Chron. 13:12 (KJV)  And, behold, God himself is with us for 
our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm 
against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of 
your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.  

2 Chron. 15:4 (KJV)  But when they in their trouble did turn 
unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.  

2 Chron. 20:15 (KJV)  And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye 
inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord 
unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great 
multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.  

2 Chron. 20:20 (KJV)  And they rose early in the morning, and 
went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, 
Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of 
Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; 
believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.  

2 Chron. 24:20 (KJV)  And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah 
the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and 
said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of 
the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, 
he hath also forsaken you.  

Isaiah 55:6-7 (KJV)  Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, 
call ye upon him while he is near: [7] Let the wicked forsake his 
way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto 
the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he 
will abundantly pardon.  

Jeremiah 29:12-14 (KJV)  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye 
shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. [13] And ye 
shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your 
heart. [14] And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn 
away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and 
from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I 
will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried 
away captive.  

Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV)  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and 
ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: [8] For 
every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to 
him that knocketh it shall be opened.  

Hebrews 10:38 (KJV)  Now the just shall live by faith: but if 
any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  

James 4:8 (KJV)  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. 
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double 
minded.  

Rev. 2:7 (KJV)  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the 
Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to 
eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of 
God.  

COMMENTARY / APPLICATION

Asa had sought God and had done everything he could to walk in 
His ways and to do His work (2 Chron. 14:11). Thus the Lord was with 
him in a mighty way to guide and to bless. [SDA Commentary] 

King Asa was a man who lived at a time when the people of Israel 
had given themselves over to the worship of idols. They had turned 
away from God and the way of life they knew to be right. A messenger 
of God told the king: "'The Lord will stay with you as long as you 
stay with him! Whenever you look for him, you will find him. But if 
you forsake him, he will forsake you.' .... When King Asa heard this 
message ... he took courage and destroyed all the idols in the land ... 
and he rebuilt the altar of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 15:2, 8). Asa 
even removed his mother from her position of power because she had 
been influential in Israel's idolatry. 
Allowing God to remove all our defects of character takes 
courage because the changes he makes in us will affect every part of our 
life. The time will come when we need to crush and burn the "idols" we 
have served, to go against the crowd, to make a commitment to God, 
and even to separate ourself from those who don't contribute to our 
recovery. When we do these things, we will find that God will be there for 
us, encouraging us as we set things straight.  
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, 
the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the 
difference. [Daily Walk Bible] 

Asa wisely welcomed people who had a close relationship with 
God, and he listened to their messages. Azariah gave the armies an 
important warning and encouraged them to stay close to God. Keep in 
contact with people who are filled with God's Spirit (those with a 
testimony or witness), and you will learn God's counsel. Spend regular 
time in discussion and prayer with those who can help explain and 
apply God's message. [Life Application SB] 

If you remain faithful to the Lord, you may expect a continuance 
of his favor; but if you abandon him, you will soon reap the bitter 
fruits of apostasy. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown Commentary] 

Seeking God and relying on Him are only the first steps. As 
Azariah the prophet reminded Asa, we must be persistent in our 
commitment. [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary] 

God is available to His people when we obediently seek Him....  
The loving God is still available, always prepared to forgive and 
renew the intimacy of a faith-relationship (Ps 73:23). A distressed 
and penitent child always receives God's attention. [Disciple SB] 

What is religion but seeking God, inquiring after him, applying 
to him upon all occasions? We make nothing of our religion, if we 
do not make heart-work of it; God will have all the heart, or none. 
[Matthew Henry Commentary] 

Though hard times bring frustration, easy times can cause us to 
forget God and depend on ourselves. Because he loves us, God may let 
difficult situations enter our lives to redirect our attention to him.... 
What desires or goals do you have that may be weakening your faith? 
What comforts or successes cause you to depend less on God? When a 
difficult situation arises today, turn to God before trying to decide on a 
solution. [Inspirational SB] 

So that you and I would believe that Jesus knows our hurts, he 
voluntarily became one of us. He placed himself in our position. He suffered 
our pains and felt our fears. 
Rejection? He felt it. Temptation? He knew it. Loneliness? He 
experienced it. Death? He tasted it. 
And stress? He could write a bestselling book about it.
Why did he do it? One reason. So that when you hurt you will go 
to him-your Father and your Physician-and let him heal. (In the Eye 
of the Storm by Max Lucado ) [Inspirational SB] 

Reciprocity is an important prayer principle (Jas 4:8). God 
listens to persons who listen to Him. [Disciple SB]