Whenever we succeed in something there always arises the temptation to use our success as an identity builder. We are prone to start to trust in our own ability and strength to get us through life. When Amaziah won the battle against Seir he took this victory to heart as a personal victory rather than seeing it as a demonstration of the faithfulness of God. The practice of capturing the images of the gods of a conquered nation was common in the ancient Near East. The idols were used as battle trophies and even as good luck charms since it was thought that these gods were now subservient to the conquering nation. This battle went to Amaziah’s head so much that he decided to declare war on Israel. This was a foolish move since Israel was far superior in military strength. The text says that God had ‘worked this,’ in other words, God gave Amaziah up to his own pride. He had tried to speak to Amaziah about his sin, but Amaziah had refused to hear this. And so, God would let Amaziah reap the consequences of his own foolishness. God is always ready to correct us when we head towards a big mistake. Whether we are willing to listen to God, however, is another matter. Often, we hurtle toward a situation in anger or pride, and we sense we are about to do something wrong, but our passions overwhelm us. If, however, you make yourself stop and listen to God in these times you will be well on your way to establishing a lifesaving habit.
Ask God if there is anything he needs to correct in your attitudes.
Read 2 Chronicles 25
