When the Mighty Fall

The headline screamed the astonishing message: “How quickly the mighty can fall.” What had happened? A major corporation had lost $7 billion in market value…in just four days! A week earlier, the company appeared secure and profitable, with rising expectations. Then, after several unexpected developments, everything changed! Billions of dollars in value just disappeared—vanished—as if they’d never existed.

These events remind us of just how temporary the things of this world are. Those who seem invincible can crumble suddenly. The famous quickly can become infamous. Overnight, popular personalities can become hated. The best of friends can become enemies. Investors can lose their profits in a matter of minutes. The powerful can become weak and helpless.

It was David who first spoke about the fall of the mighty. He spoke these words about the death of Saul and his son, Jonathan.

David had seen the fall of many mighty men. As a boy, he had defeated the giant, Goliath. He had led Israel into battle against enemies with far greater resources. With a relatively small army, he had outfoxed Saul and his legions. Then Saul and Jonathan died in battle, men who previously had been “mighty.”

David learned that God alone truly is “mighty.” As he once asked, “Who is the King of glory?” The answer? “The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:8).

Today, remember that men and nations may rise and fall. Businesses may come and go. Market values may increase and decrease. But God never changes! You always can depend on Him.