April 5, 2022 - 2 Chronicles 23-26

The stories of Joash and Amaziah and Uzziah, kings of Judah. Such a mixture of good and bad. From the stories, Amaziah, king of Judah hired a great army of 100,000 mighty men to go to war against Edom, “But a man of God came to him and said, ‘O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all these Ephraimites. 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’” (25:7,8).

Can’t help but remember Gideon who intended to take 32,000 troops into battle and who saw the Lord whittle that number down to 300: “And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home’” (Judges 7:7). Can’t help but think of David against Goliath and David’s confident trust in the Lord: “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). And what about John’s assurance of victory over the spirit of the antichrist? “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Yielded to God, my body, soul, and spirit,

O what rejoicing fills my peaceful breast!

All, all is well, no doubt nor fear disturbs me,

While on His promise now alone I rest. –Fanny Crosby (19th century)