“…he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a loyal heart.” (2 Chronicles 25:2)
 
The Bible recorded about Amaziah, the King of Judah, “…he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a loyal heart.” (2 Chronicles 25:2)The story of Amaziah is evident to the fact that doing right without a loyal heart is not enough to be considered as a righteous walk. In the story of Amaziah, it is clear for us to learn and know what it is for man to do right before God without a loyal heart. The first right Amaziah did was his obedience to the Law of God. After Amaziah became king, “…he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. However he did not execute their children, but did as it is written in the Law in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall die for his own sin.” (2 Chronicles 25:3-4)
ACT OF AMAZIAH’S OBEDIENCE
There is nothing that marks a man as being righteous like one who yields and obeys the word of God. Amaziah did not allow his need to avenge his father’s death to cloud his obedience to the law of His God. He could have went further and execute the children of his father’s executors. Are you allowing a revengeful spirit to cloud your decision making and not the commands of God? You can do right by restraining yourself in painful situations when you allow God’s command to have its place in your life.
SECOND ACT OF AMAZIAH’ S OBEDIENCE
Amaziah was in the process of going to war against the Edomites with the help of the troops of Israel which he had paid with hundred talents. A man of God came in the name of God and stated, “…O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel—not with any of the children of Ephraim. But if you go, be gone! Be strong in battle! Even so, God shall make you fall before the enemy; for God has power to help and to overthrow.”Amaziah did not reject the word of God through the man of God but only responded saying, “…but what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?”(2 Chronicles 25:9) The man of God responded and Amaziah reacted in obedience, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.” So Amaziah discharged the troops that had come to him from Ephraim, to go back home. Therefore their anger was greatly aroused against Judah, and they returned home in great anger.” (2 Chronicles 25:9-10)Amaziah’s doing right before God was rooted in his faithful obedience to the word of God through the man of God.
LACK OF LOYAL HEART
Despite his obedience he failed to demonstrate a loyal heart and that ruled him out of God’s favor. Amaziah loyalty to God was exposed when he went to the war that God fought on his behalf and came back to set up the enemy’s God for his people to worship. The Bible records Amaziah’s foolishness, “after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them. Therefore the anger of the LORD was aroused against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?” (2 Chronicles 25:14-15) Amaziah’s behavior and action can be compared to one that is blessed by God and later turned to the blessing as his god.
WORSHIPING THE BLESSEING INSTEAD OF THE BLESSER?
Does Amaziah’s case sound like you? Are you one that moved God to bless you because of your doing right? Having been blessed by God have you consciously or unconsciously turned your heart to what the Lord God has blessed you with instead of keeping your heart loyal to God? Today, many have forgotten that where they are or what they have is not the evidence of hard work. However, working hard to maintain the blessing has now taken over from their work and service to God. It is a sorrow state when one shift focus or allows the blessings of God to become their focus. The God that helped Amaziah to defeat the Edomites is greater than the gods of the Edomites and He is enough for Amaziah to focus on. Also, the God that bless you will not withdraw His hand over is blessing if you will maintain your righteous act and loyalty to His name. Remember, “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and he add no sorrow with it.”(Proverbs 10:22) God is a jealous God. Know fully well that attention is the antidote for jealousy. In all your doing, do not trade God’s deserve attention over your life for what He has blessed you with. Do all that is right, act with a loyal heart your blessing shall not cease.
 
FAITH CAPSULE
Doing right before God is rooted in faithful obedience to the word of God.
It is a sorrow state when one shift focus or allows the blessings of God to become their focus.
Tunde