Those Who Seem Powerful

To people throughout northern Italy, Lodovico Sforza seemed like the ultimate power. Born in 1452, his father, Francesco, had been duke of Milan. Lodovico was driven not just to follow in his father’s footsteps, but to dominant life.

By 1484, he seemed entrenched in leadership. The horses in his stable were inscribed with a globe and the motto, “As long as he wills.” A Venetian chronicler marveled that “all that this man does prospers.” Fortune seemed to favor him “in everything that he undertakes.”

Yet below the surface Lodovico always worried about threats to his rule. What would the French do? What about the Pope and the other Italian states? What about the Holy Roman Empire?

Then, in 1499, the French and the Venetians signed a treaty, agreeing to oust Lodovico from power and split his territory between them. Even his own people, burdened by taxes, were eager for his departure. He was so desperate that he turned to the Moslem Turks for help, but they could not save him.

A French army attacked and seized his fortresses. Soon Milan was filled with panic. Lodovico tried to escape but was captured in April 1500, betrayed by one of his own mercenaries.

One chronicler noted that his capture was “a spectacle so abject that it moved even many of his enemies to tears.” His health soon deteriorated, and he died in prison in May 1508.

How often today’s rulers seem invincible. And the companies that dominate business may appear to be all-powerful. But God knows that any of these earthly kingdoms will not last.

Remember to always trust in God. Serve Him. Seek first His Kingdom—the kingdom that will last forever!