In 2 Chronicles 25 we read about the reign of King Amaziah, the twelfth king of Judah who took over the throne after his father was assassinated. For the most part, Amaziah was a good king who “did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight” (vv.1-2).

As he worked to restore order to his country, the king assembled an army among the men of Judah. He also hired the services of an additional 100,000 soldiers from Israel for a serious pile of silver—3¾ tons to be exact (v.6). Before going off to war, however, an unnamed “man of God” warned Amaziah not to let the hired troops fight with Judah because the Lord was no longer with Israel. So, no matter how bravely his men would battle, Judah would ultimately lose because God has the “power to help you or to trip you up” (v.8).

Breaking the coalition with the soldiers from Israel was complicated. The new king had invested a lot to enlist their services, but it was an unholy alliance. So rather than wait for God to topple his house of cards, he cut his losses—trusting that God could make up for much more than he had invested (v.9). There’s a lot to take away from this story, but what sticks with me is that—when necessary—God will “trip” us up. In other words, He can disrupt any unholy alliance that threatens to undo us.

Now, God is not out to ruin us. But He will destroy what could ruin us. So when it seems as if God isn’t cooperating with your agenda, consider the possibility that He’s trying to save you from yourself. Sometimes He mercifully frustrates our best-laid plans for own good.