In my devotions this morning, I came across this interesting passage in 2 Chronicles 25. In verses 5 through 10 we find Amaziah, the king of Judah, was preparing for war. Organizing his army he realizes that he only has 300,000 soldiers ready for battle. His lack of faith led him to hire 100,000 mercenaries from Israel for a price of 100 talents of silver. This was a mistake. Even though Judah did not always follow the Lord during this time, there was no doubt about the wickedness and idolatry of the Israelites, especially these men from Ephraim.

So God sends His prophet to speak to Amaziah. We don't know who this prophet is, though some Jewish literature refers to Amoz, the father of Isaiah. The prophet basically tells the king that God is not with these men from Ephraim, and if he goes into battle with these men, Amaziah's armies will be defeated. I believe Amaziah realized that sending these men away was the right course of action. But something gave him pause. In verse 9 Amaziah asks the prophet, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?"

I found this very interesting. I can imagine the thoughts going through the king's head. What about the money? I already paid these men; do I just let that go? Do I lose out on that money? What will the men of Ephraim think of me? I was the one who sought them out. What will the people of Judah think of me flip-flopping like this, and losing the money in the process? Can I just let that money go and get nothing in return? To Amaziah's question about the money, the prophet responds, "The LORD is able to give thee much more than this." Amaziah does what is right and sends these men home. As Amaziah may have expected, they were furious with him. But it was not their opinion that mattered. God gave Amaziah the victory. Amaziah's obedience was worth the cost.

Have you ever had thoughts similar to Amaziah's? You are convicted of sin, or the Holy Spirit convinces you of an action, but then you see the cost, and hesitate, or turn back altogether. I think of the teenager with a rack of CD's/DVD's, worth hundreds of dollars, that he knows he needs to get rid of, but he thinks of the cost. Do I just throw them away? That is a lot of money. Isn't that a waste? Or, I think of the man convicted of his shady business practices who knows he should change, but fears the cost of losing a client, or even his job. Or the student who is convicted about cheating on a test, but the cost (the penalty for cheating) keeps her from confessing to her teachers. Or the husband struggling with pornography, who desperately wants to confess, repent, and turn away from his sin, but fear of the cost (confessing to his wife, and humbling himself to get the help he needs) keeps him from repentance. Or the child who wants to tell the truth about something he has stolen, but fear of punishment keeps him from confiding in his parents. Or the wife that is living above her means and spiraling into debt, who knows she should cut up the credit cards and change her spending habits, but the fear of what she will have to give up keeps her from action.

Is there some 'cost' in your life right now that is keeping you from obedience? Is the fear of loss keeping you from getting right with God? Are you worried about what others may think? Don’t let the fear of man keep you from doing right. God will give you the grace to go through the consequences of your actions when you turn to him in repentance. Listen to the words of the prophet to Amaziah. "The LORD is able to give thee much more than this." God's blessing always follows obedience. God's judgment always follows sin. What you plant, you will harvest. No matter what you think the cost may be, it is always worth it to follow God. It is always worth it to confess and repent. Obedience IS worth the cost.

Bryan Miller, B.A.
Children's Pastor