2 Chronicles 16:9a (NKJV): For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
The word 'strong' here is 'chazaq' (pronounced 'khaw-zak') in Hebrew, and it can mean 'to prevail, become mighty, become established'. I can therefore say 'the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself prevailing, mighty, and established on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him'.
The background of this verse can be traced to the life of King Asa (2 Chronicles chapters 14, 15, and 16). He was a king who initially did what's good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places of pagan worship. He also commanded the whole of Judah to return to the Lord God of their fathers, and to seek the Lord God of their fathers (2 Chronicles 14:1-6).
And when Zerah the Ethiopian came against Judah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, knowing that Judah were outnumbered, King Asa cried out to the Lord his God, "Lord, there is no one like You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, You are our God. Do not let mere mortals prevail against You."(2 Chronicles 14:11) So the Lord struck the Ethiopians, and the Ethiopians fled. As a result, the whole of Judah had rest all around. And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of King Asa (2 Chronicles 15:19).
Now, what could have gone wrong for King Asa? 2 Chronicles 16:1-3 says, 'In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might let none go out or come in to Asa. Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, "Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me."' Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel to attack them.
At that time, Hanani the seer came to King Asa and said, "Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand." And Hanani continued, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars." (2 Chronicles 16:7-9)
Upon hearing these words, King Asa was angry with Hanani the seer; and he threw him into prison. Tragically, not many years down the road, King Asa became severely diseased; and even in his disease, he did not seek the Lord (2 Chronicles 16:10-13). What a sorry end to someone who started so well. And it needn't have been this way for him.
I heard and released these words from the Lord recently:
"Look to Me, and keep looking to Me! Never stop! What I have begun in you, continue in it; continue to seek Me, and you will always find Me! Look to Me, not to the ways of man or the ways of this world; even when you have already tasted and seen some victories in life. For My eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Myself strong on behalf of those whose heart stays loyal to Me!"
People of God, there are lessons we can learn from those who have gone before us. Not only the success stories, but also the mistakes of those who have gone before us. It is one thing to rely on the Lord when we have nothing, or when we are broke. As the saying goes, "The only way is up!" But it is another thing to continue to rely on the Lord and look to the Lord even when we are already 'doing well', or have tasted and seen some success or victories in life.
Indeed, the Lord is looking to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those who continue to stay loyal to Him. May our hearts continue to stay loyal and soft before the Lord, even as we continue to grow in our spiritual stature. Amen.
