“But a man of God came to him, saying, “O king, do not let this army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim. But if you do go [in spite of this warning], be strong and courageous for battle; yet God will cause you to stumble and fall before the enemy, for God has power to help and to cause people to stumble.” Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I gave to the troops of Israel?” The man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.””
2 Chronicles 25:7-9 AMP
Imagine this. Amaziah assembled a great army. He had a total of 400,000 men – 300,000 skilled with a spear and shield plus the 100,000 valiant, brave warriors he hired for 100 talents of silver (approximately 2 million in today’s dollar value).
AT LEAST 2 million dollars spent which does not include the weapons and other resources. Money spent. Troops ready.
But G-d.
G-d sends a prophet to warn Amaziah not to take the hired men into battle. Amaziah was faced with a difficult decision – obey and lose money or face sure defeat.
He dismissed the hired troops, “took courage” as the man of G-s told him to do, and struck down the men of Edom.
“Losing” his investment was certainly costly. Yet, disobedience carries a higher price.
Sometimes G-d asks us to do things that cost us. Sometimes it results in a loss of resources, other times it’s a loss of pride. But whatever He asks us to lay down, we can rest assured that He is able to give us so much more than we “lose”.
Vance and I have talked a lot lately about where we “might” be if we had made different decisions early on – bought that first house, taken that job and stayed in Tyler, stayed in Versailles 7 years ago, and on and on. We’ve talked about how we “might” be better off financially. And we’ve talked about how we can’t live in the “might”.
Every decision, every move, every moment has brought us to the place we are today. There are too many “marker moments” I can point to – too many instances of divine providence – that remind me that “The Lord is able to give (and DO) you much more than this”. When we obey, it positions us, and He provides in the most unexpected ways.
Years ago when we left Shady Grove the first time and started our journey, someone told me they saw us like Abraham and Sarah – setting out in obedience to follow G-d at all costs. Another said to not lose heart because the glory of the latter days would be greater than the former. Those words of encouragement are what I hold onto in the moments of doubt and regret. I grab on, refocus, and remind myself that He WILL see me through and He will DO what He has promised.
No matter what He asks of us, He can be trusted. No matter the sacrifice, may we rest in knowing that the Lord is able to give – and do- so much more than what we lay down.
Father – thank You for Your Word and how You encourage me. Thank You for every place You’ve called me to and allowed me to call home. Thank You for meeting us in each place. You are good and You keep doing good. Your leadership in my life is perfect and You can be trusted. Amen.
Daily Reading: 2 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 25
July 6, 2022