Joel M Bradshaw

8As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the LORD.–2 Chronicles 15

1. This was a moment of personal revival for King Asa that led to a national revival for the kingdom of Judah.
2. It all started with God’s Word.
3. In this case, a prophet came to speak a message from God.
4. In our day, we read the Bible and receive it as the Word of God.
5. As a biblical counselor, I invite counselees and clients to read the Bible and apply it to their situations. God uses the Bible to challenge and encourage each of them. I especially bring verses and passages of the Bible that have greatly affected me.
6. In Asa’s day, hearing the Word of the Lord brought great change in his own life and his influence as king was used to implement that change to the people who looked to him.
7. So how about your heart? Do you receive the Bible as God’s Word? Do you seek the Bible for guidance in life? Do you have a trusted mentor to help keep you accountable regarding necessary change as you apply the Bible?–JMB