A story is told of a cowboy who went to buy some life insurance. The broker asked him if he had any accidents in the past year. The cowboy replied, “No, but I was kicked by a horse, chased by a raging bull, and bitten by a snake that laid me up for a while” The agent asked him, “Weren’t these accidents?” No,” the cowboy said, “they did it on purpose.” Just as this cowboy was trying to buy himself some protection for future uncertainty, King Asa was prepared his nation against invaders. We read in 2 Chron. Ch. 14, that during peace time, he fortified the country and built up the military. But when the Ethiopian general Zerah attacked him with a million soldiers, he did not just depend on his human preparation for victory. He called on God. The text tells us he cried out to God, “O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in your name alone. It is in your name that we come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you.” God answered his prayer, the LORD devastated the enemy and they fled. So as we face our challenges, we should take all of the precautions we can; but having done what is humanly possible, we depend on our God to give us victory and bring us through.
