My friend from pigwotflies has been thinking about Tilgath Pileser I have been reading her links, and some of the bible passages that refer to one of the three Tilgath Pilesers (incidently, whatever happened to Tilgath Pileser II?)

Anyway, I was thinking about how Kings like Tilgath Pileser who beleived themselves to be highly powerful were in fact mere tools in the hands of God who used them to work out his purposes in the life of his people. So when Gods people were in the place they should be these guys experienced defeat, but when Gods people needed to be taught once more to rely on him these people experienced great victory.

We should not focus too much on the influential people around us and what they can do to us, but rather on being in the right place with God.

2 Chronicles 26 struck me in this regard as it describes Uzziah, one of Israel's Kings:

"his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God"

We should thank God for experiences that remind us we are in fact weak. For who wants to feel too strong, become proud and then prove unfaithful to God? Not me.