Asset defined: somebody or something that is useful and contributes to the success of something.
People in business would tell you that, you don't joke with your asset, you don't throw away your asset, you don't even sell your asset.
People who are familiar with American action movies, know that, when a leader of a troop or political party is captured, he is not quickly killed, why? Because of what he knows. The captors would want to get some vital information from him. The captive, becomes a great asset to them. A wise captor wouldn't do away with such captive easily.
When you become an asset in the hands of God, it means you know something: it means you know God and ultimately, it means you know the will of God (you know the plan of God or what God wants to do). And that is when you become useful and contribute to the plan of God. However, this requires a consistent relationship with God and the word of God.
A very practical example in the Bible, is the story of Jonah. Jonah definitely must have had a close relationship with God, therefore he knows God, and knew what God wanted to do. So the book starts with, "NOW the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me." (Jonah 1:1).
The instruction is very simple, isn't it? "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD."
A direct order, followed by a direct disobedience. Why would God, the Almighty still be interested in a man, who just outrightly disobeyed Him and moved away from His presence?
Jonah carried something inside him, he had a relationship with God, a very close relationship, they were like friends. He knew God and God had told him what His next plan was. God had actually prepared Jonah for that moment. (I don't know how long, but I know it must have taken quite some time, God had invested on him). At that time, Jonah had become an asset to God.
An understanding of this, gives you a reasonable understanding why God would not let go of Jonah easily, despite his proven stubbornness.
Jonah knew God very well, he knew God would have mercy on Nineveh and change his mind about destroying them if they repented, but he was less concerned about Nineveh, he was more concerned about his own people (Israel). Israel was in a similar situation as Nineveh, they had turned away from God and God's anger was looming over them, however, they had prophets to preach to them but they were not willing to repent. Jonah's thought was that since God was not averting His soon coming judgement upon Israel, why should He do so with a gentile nation. So he refused to go to Nineveh out of jealousy for his nation.
Jonah simply disagreed with God's way of being gracious. Hear what he said after he eventually went to Nineveh to preach and Nineveh repented and God relented of the disaster that he said that he would bring upon them, Jonah said to God "was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled to Tarshish: for I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and you relent from the destruction." (Jonah 4:2)
Like I said before, Jonah had a relationship with God, he related with God as if they were friends, because he had come to know God so intimately. And that was why he could walk away from the presence of God and God still went after him. Not many people can enjoy that kind of grace.
When you become an asset in the hands of God, you flow in grace abundantly, that was what Jonah actually enjoyed: the grace of God. "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord," (2Peter1: 2).
Peace, that explains the the reason why Jonah could sleep, even in the midst of the tempest. He knew he was an asset.
After grace brought back Jonah, even though he had not yet completely agreed with what God's way of being magnanimously gracious, he learnt his lessons, stopped his stubbornness and carried out God's command immediately. (He probably learnt that God Almighty, is even mightier than he thought, the one who is able to give command the great fish, the one who answers prayers even from the belly of a fish. He must have realised that there was no way he could escape from the hands of the LORD God Almighty). The LORD alone is to be feared.
When you become an asset in the hands of God, you stand a chance of being with Him for eternity... And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17: 3).
I almost forgot: once you have become an asset to God, you would be a hot cake for Satan too. In other words, Satan also loves to divert God's assets for his own gain, so that the will of God would never be carried out. That is Satan's major business and trust me, he would go to any length to get God's asset, he would use everything in his power to steal God's asset. Only the very strong ones can escape him. He even tried it with Jesus, when he said, "All these things will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me." (Matthew 4: 9).
I'm an asset in the hands of God and I am not going to leave Him to serve Satan, I'm going to do His will and I will serve Him, so help me God, Amen.
