“‘But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.’ And Amaziah said to the man of God, ‘But what should we do about the hundred talents that I have given to the army of Israel?’ The man of God answered, ‘The Lord is able to give you much more than this.'”
– 2 Chronicles 25:8–9
There’s so much in this story, and really in the story of Amaziah’s life and leadership. Earlier in Second Chronicles, chapter 25, we read that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord yet not with a whole heart. And so we see this picture in Amaziah of a temptation to go part way, to do some of what God is saying to do, but not all of what God is saying to do, or not with a whole heart. Later on in this 2 Chronicles 25:15, the Lord is angry with Amaziah because he’s seeking other gods, foreign gods, instead of God alone.
You can trust Jesus with everything, without hesitation or reservation.
2 Chronicles 25:8–9 Provides for Us
And here in this passage that I read, in 2 Chronicles 25:8–9, he’s asking questions like, “Can God really provide for us as we go into battle?” And the man of God here is saying, “Go, act be strong for the battle. Trust in God.” And I love the language here when Amaziah says, “What do we do about the hundred talents that I’ve given in the army of Israel?” And the man of God says, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”
And so in this picture of Amaziah, I just want to encourage you not to go with God part of the way, or most of the way, or to trust in God some, while you let questions linger about much he really can provide for you. To look up and see there is only one God who is worthy of all our worship today. All your worship today, your whole heart. And you can trust him with your whole heart. You can trust him with everything, without hesitation or reservation. You can trust he’s able to give you much more than you even know to ask for.
Devoted to the Lord
And so we pray, God, help us to not be like Amaziah in all these ways. Help us to love you with our whole heart, to follow you with our whole heart, to do all that you are calling us to do today. Not to live in any way with halfhearted or three-quarters hearted or anything like that, devotion to you.
God, help us to live in a whole-hearted devotion to you, to worship you alone. To not turn aside to idols and things in this world that don’t compare with you. And God, help us to go today, to act. To obey your word with your strength, with confidence and your power, and your spirit in us. And to walk an obedience to you. To proclaim the gospel today, and to trust that our faith in you is well-founded. That you are able to give us far more than we could ask or imagine.
God, help us then to be strong today, to act in obedience to your word. To walk in your commands, with total trust in you, amidst anything, everything going on in our lives, because we know you’ll give to us, provide for us, in ways far beyond what we could ask or imagine. We pray all of this, in light of 2 Chronicles 25:8–9, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
