The bible describes a king of Judah; king Amaziah as one who “did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart.” II Chronicles 25:2

I found that description very interesting. He did right but not with a right heart. Meaning his actions were in contrast to his heart when ideally, our actions should echo our hearts.

We read later on that while King Amaziah prepares his troops for battle, he numbers them at 300,000 men but enlists 100,000 more from Israel, maybe because he felt he needed more. The bible tells us that he paid 100,000 shekels of silver for these 100,000 men enlisted from Israel.

After he is done and ready to go to war. We read of an unnamed man of God who came to him and said “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel—not with any of the children of Ephraim.” II Chronicles 25:7

King Amaziah has a typical response that I think most people will have today. He asks “But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?”

Which I think is a fair question at first glance, but to this, the man of God answered, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.” II Chronicles 25:9

Thankfully, this king obeyed the word of God through the vessel of God, I wouldn’t know if his heart was loyal to this obedience though but at least his actions speaks of obedience as the bible tells us that he discharged the 100,000 troops.

It’s really important to start obeying God from where we are once His word comes, we shouldn’t worry about all we’ve done up until that point, from that moment the word comes, the only response should be total obedience; actions and heart. The truth is that it might cost us as it cost King Amaziah, because the discharged troops left angrily and even came to plunder his camp while he was away at war, but obedience must remain paramount to whatever cost and we must train our minds not to blame God for the cost because He still works it all out for out good.

Human beings could be guilty of attaching God-sentiments to time; we think things like “What about how long we’ve been dating?”, “What about how much I’ve invested in this?”, “What about all I’ve told people?”

We think that because time didn’t break it, God was for it, and the refusal to admit it as a sentiment constantly holds us back from the total obedience that God expects of us.

Maybe today God wants to remind someone that God-sentiments are not always associated with time, because God cannot be boxed, we can’t create sentiments over our experiences or experiences of people. We must learn to obey first! Before any other thing. His sentiments recognise only obedience to His word.

The worries over the time or investments made should be secondary to obeying first.

Because, like the man of God said to king Amaziah, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”

Be free.