“Therefore he (King Asa) said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered”
2 Chronicles 14:7
Asa, a righteous king, did good in the eyes of the Lord and was blessed with peace from their enemies as a result. Asa made good use of this time of rest. This time of rest from enemy attack was to be a time of building safe cities for the people to dwell in. He was a caring king with enough insight to prepare for any future attack from their enemies.
A good leader does not sit idly by enjoying the rewards of God’s blessing. He does not stop being insightful and productive. He asks himself: “What more needs to be done around here? In other words: “Now what?” We have accomplished all we set out to do, we have peace and prosperity, but is there something else that we have yet to get done? What more can we do at this point? Why? Because it is always possible to lose what you have gained. This is what you must keep in mind as you make progress. Remember that your enemy is like a “roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8). Though we have ‘rest’ we cannot afford to rest. We cannot afford to get lazy. We must continually watch and pray, continually be about the Lord’s business. Seeking Him. Obeying Him. Advancing His kingdom in all ways and in every place our foot treads.
The time of peace and prosperity is the time to build and prepare for the future. It is a time not to grow slack but to keep working hard. Identify and fortify your weaknesses — personally and corporately. Anticipate trouble as best you can. Plan for the future. Where might your enemy attack next? Keep your team focused and motivated at all times. Rejoice in what God has done, but remember you are in a battle zone. Keep building up the people of God wherever and however you can.
Take time to thank God for the success He gas given you thus far. And now ask Him to reveal areas of weakness in your life and in your ministry which you need to build up.
