Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.

2 Kings 23:25

2 Kings 23:25

Earlier, I was searching though my Bible for some examples of leaders who sought the LORD and was reminded of the life of King Asa. When he came into power, Asa turned to the LORD and corrected many of the errors of the other kings who did not serve the LORD. He even removed his own mother as the Queen mother because she made an idol for the Asherah (2 Chronicles 15:16). But, Asa did not finish well.

Asa started well. His life was on track but instead of relying on God in his time of need, Asa turned to the King of Syria to help him defeat the enemy, and when he was challenged, instead of repenting and returning to the LORD, he withdrew. Finally, when he contracted a disease in his feet during his final years, he failed again to call out to God.

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians.

2 Chronicles 16:12

What causes a man to harden his heart? In the case of Asa, it appears he became more independent so that instead of seeking God, he was self-reliant. As we get older, we can learn from the mistakes of Asa as we continue to push ahead toward the finish line.