Mostly but Not Always

I’m a “rituals and routines” person. I thrive when I have a schedule and a predictable rhythm, so there are lots of little things I do on a (mostly) daily basis.

These include:
- making myself a “special” hot drink each morning (coffee or tea, I do both, although it’s all decaf, so it’s more about the experience than the caffeine);
- drinking a bottle of water before and after breakfast and lunch (keeps me hydrated and helps me eat less…maybe);
- listening to Scripture in the mornings or reading my Bible at night (if I try to read in the mornings, I fall asleep. Just being honest, here.); and
- doing 1 load of laundry each evening (I HATE doing laundry, but I’d much rather do a little at a time than have to climb laundry mountain once a week).

These are the basics I do on most days, but not always.
Sometimes I get up late and don’t have time to make a hot drink.
Some days I’m way too distracted or busy to get my water drinking in.
There are even days when I go 24 hours (or longer) without doing any laundry or even opening my Bible. 

I am generally a woman of habit, but I'm not perfect.
Most days I try to be on my A game, but it doesn’t always happen that way.
Mostly I strive to love God and those around me, but not always. 

As I was studying Scripture today, I read about King Asa, and he strikes me as a “mostly but not always” kinda guy. He was king in Judah after the nation of Israel divided into the northern and southern kingdoms. Asa reigned in the southern kingdom (called Judah) after Rehoboam and Abijah, which were just all around bad dudes and awful kings. The Bible even says Rehoboam and Abijah led the people to “abandon the law of the Lord” (2 Chron 12:1-2). After the rule of these two idol worshipping kings, Asa must have been a breath of fresh air. Scripture says Asa did “what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Chron 14:2), and there are many examples of this throughout his rule. In fact, overall, Asa was a good guy (mostly), and “he commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey God’s laws” (2 Chron 14:4). 

At one point during Asa’s reign, the Cushites “marched out against them (against Asa & Judah) with an army of thousands upon thousands” (2 Chron 14). Judah was embarrassingly outnumbered, and things weren’t looking good for Asa and his people. Unlike the kings before him,  Asa “called on the Lord his God and said, ‘Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you’” (2 Chron 14:11). Yahweh heard and answered and gave Judah a decisive victory that day. 

Scripture also tells of how Asa destroyed the idols and false altars of the past. He even kicked out his own grandmother, Makkah, from the royal family because she worshiped Asherah. He repaired the altar of the Lord at the temple, gathered the people, and offered sacrifices. And if the account of his reign ended here, we could say Asa was an awesome king. But there’s more.

Near the end of Asa’s reign, after years of peace and rest from their enemies, Baasha, king of the northern kingdom (called Israel) threatened Judah. The closer Baasha and his armies came, the more nervous Asa became. His solution was to make an alliance with a neighboring king (Ben-Hadad of Aram) for added security. It worked and Baasha backed off and left Judah alone. War averted. Peace maintained. But at what price?

Afterwards, a prophet guy named Hanani came to Asa and said, “Because you relied on the King of Aram and not on the Lord your God… you have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war” (2 Chron 16:7-9). Ouch.  

Asa started out strong. As king, he relied on the Lord for victory and led his people to obey and worship the Lord. Mostly. But not always. That little incident towards the end of his reign shows us that even good kings make stupid mistakes. Even those with strong faith sometimes take matters into their own hands. Even believers with a history of trusting God can let fear win. 

I identify a lot with Asa. I’m mostly obedient, but not always. I mostly trust God, but not always. And while I consider Asa somewhat of a kindred spirit, he’s not the main character in this narrative. Yahweh is. 

For throughout Asa’s rule, and even years before it and the years after it, during the days of evil kings and idol worship and gross immorality, Yahweh never quit on His people. In fact, in the face of Asa’s faithless blunder, God sent a message to remind him that the “eyes of Yahweh range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him” (2 Chron 16:9). This is one of the many things I love about our God. He’s predictable. He’s stable. He stays the same. Regardless of the culture or the government or the lawlessness or even in the midst of wars, our God, Yahweh, never changes. Who He was in the Old Testament is who He is today. And tomorrow. And forever. He’s always on the look-out for those who love and serve Him. He’s always ready to strengthen and equip and guide us. 

And God’s never-changing character (the fancy word for this is immutability) is a super good thing because, me? Well, you know me.  I’ll spend the rest of my life in the “mostly but not always” category. I’m never completely dependable or totally faithful. I’ve messed up before, and I will again. Many times. But (hallelujah!!!) my faith and future reward don’t hinge on me or my “mostly but not always” life. My foundation isn’t built on the mostly or kinda-good life I’m living. Nope. My foundation, my faith, and my future reward all rest on the “completely and always” character of Yahweh who always, every single time, works “for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes” (Rom 8:28).