What steps can we take to prioritize God's guidance over human resources today? Setting the Scene: Amaziah’s Dilemma 2 Chronicles 25:10 shows Amaziah dismissing 100,000 hired soldiers after God’s warning: “So Amaziah discharged the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. They were enraged against Judah and returned home in fierce anger.” He chooses divine direction over a powerful human resource. His example outlines a pathway for us. Step 1: Seek the Word Before Seeking Help • Amaziah hears God’s message first (vv. 7-9). • Psalm 119:105—“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” • Practical today: open Scripture, listen in corporate worship, invite wise believers to speak God’s truth before calling the bank, consultant, or expert. Step 2: Evaluate Resources Through the Lens of Faith • Isaiah 31:1 warns against trusting horses and chariots rather than the Holy One. • List every asset—bank account, network, skill set. Ask: “Does this align with God’s revealed will?” Step 3: Be Willing to Release What God Forbids • Amaziah “discharged the troops” even though he had already paid them. • Hebrews 12:1 urges us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles.” • Modern application: break off an ill-advised partnership, delete the unethical software, resign from a compromising job, even if money or reputation is at stake. Step 4: Trust God’s Arithmetic Over Earth’s Accounting • 2 Chronicles 25:9—“The LORD can give you much more than this.” • Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:33 affirm God’s provision. • Keep a record of past deliverances to remind yourself that loss for obedience is never ultimate loss. Step 5: Endure Backlash with Steadfast Confidence • The discharged troops left “in fierce anger.” Pushback is normal. • Psalm 118:6—“The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” • Stay respectful but immovable. Refuse retaliation or compromise. Step 6: Keep the Lessons Alive Today 1. Begin every decision-making process in prayerful Bible reading. 2. Submit plans to mature believers for Scriptural testing. 3. Hold resources loosely; obedience tightly. 4. Celebrate God’s faithfulness aloud to build courage for the next test. |
    |