Daily Devotional for Wednesday, June 3

The Encounter with the Edomite Army

“And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this,” 2 Chronicles 25:9.

Following the Lord with your whole heart is costly. This is an undeniable truth of Scripture. Is it worth the cost to obey the Lord? King Amaziah was faced with such a dilemma when he hired men of Israel to help Judah fight against the Edomites. He had paid one hundred talents of silver for these mighty men, a significant amount! But God made it clear to Amaziah that He was not with Israel, and Judah would be defeated if he brought the men of Israel into battle. Amaziah was concerned about the silver that had already been paid for the soldiers, but the man sent from God gave a response that settled his heart, “The Lord is able to give thee much more than this” (verse 9).
Anything that has great value comes with a cost. The only exception is the free gift of salvation in and through Jesus Christ. But we must never forget our redemption also came at a very high price, paid in full by the precious blood of the Lamb. So while salvation is free, discipleship is costly.
As you follow Christ with your whole heart, you may lose relationships, jobs, status, money and other things of this life. The apostle Paul experienced this firsthand, yet, he said in Philippians 3:8, “For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Here is the reward. It is the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord! The riches of this world are nothing compared to the riches found in Christ.

REFLECTION
What is Jesus worth to you? Will you let go of things of this life to gain a sweet relationship with Christ?

Darla Goodrum