2 Chronicles 15:1

2 Chronicles 15:1 says, And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:  We are told that the Spirit of God came upon Azariah, but we as followers of Christ have the Holy Spirit to guide us in all that we do, if we only listen.  Still, at times we may be more aware of the Holy Spirit's presence urging us to act.  Verse two adds, And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.  Azariah came with a warning from God to Asa and all the people of Judah and Benjamin.  God would be with them as long as they were faithful to Him, and if they sought Him, He could be found.  Though the Holy Spirit is with us at all times, we still need to be faithful to God and seek His leadership.  God does not force anyone to obey Him, even those who are followers of Christ.  He also warned them that if they forsook God, He would forsake them.  Though as Christians we are forever saved, if we forsake doing God's will in our lives, He will forsake blessing us.  Verse three continues, Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.  Azariah said that the people of Israel had gone a long time without a true God and a teaching priest and without the law of God.  As a nation, we cannot afford to go for a long time without acknowledging God and still expect Him to bless us, nor can we as individuals.  We also, as a priesthood of believers, need to be teaching the world about God and strengthening each other in our faith.  Verse four states, But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.  Azariah said that even though the people of Israel didn't have a teaching priesthood or maybe even a strong belief in God, that when they were in trouble, they turned to Him and He was found.  Too often, we only look to God when we are in trouble, and we are in trouble because we didn't look to God in the first place.  Verse five adds, And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.  Azariah said that there was no peace for the people when they failed to look to God.  We as Christians can have no spiritual peace if we fail to look to God in faith and obedience.  Verse six continues, And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.  Azariah said that the nation if Israel was destroyed by other nations, city by city, because God vexed them with adversity.  As a nation if we do not follow the leadership of God we can still expect to find problems and a lack of peace.  Verse seven says, Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.  Azariah called on the people of Judah and Benjamin to be strong in the Lord I believe, and to not let their hands be weak.  We need to be strong in the Lord today and not let our hands be weak in doing His work, not that we are doing so for reward, but because we are doing so to bring honor and glory to God.  Verse eight adds, And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.  When Asa heard these things, he took action by putting away the abominable idols and restoring the altar of God.  As followers of Christ, we need to continually put away the idols in our lives and worship only God.