II Chronicles 25

“For God has power to help or to cast down" (v8).  Judah’s kings faced two main spiritual tests: whether they would worship in Jerusalem or promote idolatry, and whether they would trust God for military support or look to other allies.  King Amaziah of Judah obeyed a prophet’s warning and fired the mercenaries he had hired, instead relying on God for victory in battle (v11).  Shockingly, he then adopted the idols of the people he had conquered (v14-15), leading eventually to his assassination (v27).

“The Lord is able to give you much more than this” (v9).  God’s power to rescue us and give us real life is “much more” than any earthly resource we can imagine.