Heart Tracks - Much More

"Amaziah asked the man of God, 'But what should I do about the silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?' The man of God replied, 'The Lord is able to give you much more than this.' " 2 Chronicles 25:9

Not long after the death of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split into two, with the southern part becoming the kingdom of Judah, and the northern the kingdom of Israel. The kingdom of Israel was led by its kings into darkness and rebellion against God. Amaziah had become king of Judah, and set about bringing spiritual and governmental reform to the kingdom. One of the tasks he set himself to was reorganizing the army, to which he spent a large sum in hiring soldiers from the northern kingdom. God sent a prophet to order him to not do this as the Father had set Himself against that kingdom in response to their sin and rebellion. Amaziah saw only what the personal cost of this would be to him. All the silver paid out would be lost. God wanted him to see all that he would gain by his act of obedience and sacrifice. The Father wanted him to see the "much more" that we receive in the face of sacrificial obedience to the will and call of God. Amaziah obeyed the order, but eventually, his heart was led away from his God, and to his destruction. He didn't trust or abide in the promise of the Father's "much more." Can we? Do we?

Here is a truth that seems to be losing its place in the teaching of the church. Following Him will require great cost to us. Following Him will involve sacrifice, loss, hardship.....a cross. Jesus told those who would follow Him to first "count the cost." Too many don't, and when His leading brings them to their own kind of "Amaziah moment," they either shrink back, or, like Amaziah, at first obey, but with a reluctant, even bitter heart. A heart that will eventually turn away from Him. They either never hear His promise of "much more," or have refused to believe it. All they can see is the cost, the loss, the "silver" that they must give up in order to fully follow Him.

Maybe the great problem here is that we tend to measure His much more in terms of what can be counted, accumulated, and measured. God's economy, the economy of the Kingdom doesn't operate in that fleshly mode. The much more of His Kingdom yield themselves in eternal riches that flow forth in the form of His joy, peace, wisdom, understanding, strength, and abundance. That is the economy of the Kingdom. It's an eternal economy and lasts while all those things we deemed so precious have long passed away.

A good brother asked me the other day if, when I was walking through my divorce and loss of ministry, I had a crisis of faith. I well remember that time of darkness, pain and loss. I wrestled with Him over many things, and in the wrestling, asked questions, sometimes angry ones. I wondered where He was, even questioned His goodness. Yet the one thing I knew was that I could not turn back, could not go back to the life that was death without Him. I would follow, I would obey, even in the midst of the loss. And in that, I, in time, discovered the "much more" of what He gives when we follow Him despite the cost. What I gained in Him through that dark valley far outweighed what was lost. I would never choose to return to such pain, but neither would I ever choose to do anything but what I did in spite of it.

Whatever costs you may be experiencing in following and obeying Him today, I, and so many others urge you to trust Him for His "much more" in the following. He won't fail or disappoint you. He is faithful.....now and into eternity. Believe for His much more.

Blessings,
Pastor O