Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Chronicles 25:8 (New Living Translation)

If you let them go with your troops into battle, you will be defeated by the enemy no matter how well you fight. God will overthrow you, for he has the power to help you or to trip you up.

A man of God is speaking to King Amaziah of the kingdom of Judah. Amaziah is preparing for war. He has an idea: hire extra troops from the kingdom of Israel to help him in battle. King Amaziah knows that he needs help. What better source of help is there but the cousins from Israel?

Makes sense, right? Wrong and wrong and wrong. What better source of help is there? God, of course.

Yeah, but God is busy and this is crucial and sometimes God takes more time than I have and I am sure God understands what I am doing and … Wrong and wrong and wrong.

Go to the wrong place for help and I will end up in the wrong place. Of course God has the power to help me. And the opposite of that is not God ignoring me; it is God “tripping me up.”

But would God work against me? That’s what it says here in black and white. God can trip me up just as sure as God can help me. But God is on my side, right? Right. And when I go to the wrong place, oh well. Tripped up, again.

Please God, grant me wisdom and patience.