“But a man of God came to him and said, ‘Your Majesty, do not hire troops from Israel for the LORD is not with Israel…If you let them go with your troops into battle you will be defeated by the enemy no matter how hard you fight. God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up.’ Amaziah asked the man of God, ‘But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?’ The man of God replied, ‘The LORD is able to give you much more than this!’”
2 Chronicles 25:7-9 NLT
I’ve never been one to crave material things, but I’ll admit that I sometimes feel stressed when I think we may be spending too much of our silver. That’s why today’s story caught my attention.
The prophet warned Amaziah not to go into battle with those hired troops, because God was not with them. Surprisingly, Amaziah’s big concern was about losing the silver he had paid. However, his greater concern should have been about losing relationship because he ended up turning away from God to worship idols. Amaziah was later captured in battle and then assassinated by his own people.
On the other hand, God’s concern was about protecting His people. 7,500 pounds of silver meant nothing to Him compared to the lives of those He loved. And today God’s priority is still the same—the people He loves. He promises to provide ALL we need, including the silver! But like the prophet told Amaziah, “The LORD is able to give you much more than that!”
Our loving God offers everyone a gift that all the silver in the world could not buy— a relationship and all its benefits—relationship through His endless grace and mercy. That relationship includes His peace, joy, and security. That relationship includes His unfailing power and love.
So, what about all that silver? It can never compare to RELATIONSHIP!
