Introduction: I was never very good at using a Yo-Yo as a child. My cousin Doug was very good, however. He could make them do the cool tricks that boys are often fascinated by–rocking the cradle, walking the dog, etc. But the image of the Yo-Yo is powerful. Back and forth; up and down.

Connection: Asa was a king in Judah (the southern kingdom) in the 900s-800s B.C. I have always been struck by what Scripture reveals about Asa. Why? Asa had some seasons of great faithfulness to truth and to God. In other seasons Asa botched things due to his suppression of truth and shady dealings. He worked at times with divided loyalties. He was very often a double-minded man. He was his own worst enemy at times. Other times he appeared to be a rock-solid leader.

What B.H. Carroll Said: In writing about Asa’s Yo-Yo dedication Carroll wrote, “The time we need to be most watchful is in the moment of a great victory. When the times are hard, when we are pressed to the wall, we are apt to be humble and look to God. But when it looks like everything is going our way, the danger is that we will be puffed up.”

In short, take heed lest you fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

2 Chronicles 15 records a powerful glimpse into Asa and his (and our) struggle:

15 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them (2 Chr 15:1-4).

Thoughts about Asa & Encouragement for Fellow Pilgrims:

• God sends messengers to warn us. In short, faithful are the wounds of a friend (Pr 27:6).
• Godliness means work; it’s never easy, so let us not deceive ourselves.
• God rejoices to restore the contrite of spirit. In short, humility precedes honor (Pr 18:12)

Encouragement: I do not purport to speak for anyone else on this but as for me, I have at many times and in many ways fallen very short of the standard that God calls his people to. But God is a restorer by nature. It is God’s nature to redeem, to set things and people upright again if and when they repent and look to him for mercy and grace. And should the most obstinate of sinners still refuse to repent, the very stones will cry out, bearing witness to the goodness of God.