The Tragedy of Triumph Lives

2 Kings 23:29

In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

One of the hardest things I have to deal with in my mind is seeing people whose lives were filled with triumph, but their lives ended in tragedy. At this stage of my life, I have seen many people I would consider strong preachers and Christians end their lives tragically. Some fell in sin, while others ended their lives in compromise. Some ended their lives doing nothing, and some have ended their lives in bitterness. I could tell you many stories of men who once pastored great churches, whose lives today have no resemblance to the men they used to be. The Scriptures give us four illustrations of the greatest kings and what led them to turn a life of triumph into one of tragedy.

The first life is the life of King David. David had everything going for him in his life. David was a man we often look to when facing the giants of life. David’s résumé of what God did through his life is amazing, but his life ended tragically. What caused David to turn a triumphant life into a life of tragedy? He simply got out of routine. He should've gone to war instead of staying home, but stepping out of his routines led him to a night of sin. That night of sin led to heartache for the remainder of his life. If you don't want your life to end in tragedy, get good, godly routines, and stick with them until the day you die.

The second life is the life of King Solomon. Maybe nobody had more potential than Solomon. He had everything given to him, and yet he ruined it all because of poor associations. You cannot have bad associations and end life well. Those poor associations turned Solomon from the man who built the temple for Israel to a man who worshiped the gods of heathen lands. Your associations do matter, and if you have poor associations, it will eventually catch up and turn a triumphant life into a life of tragedy.

The third life is the life of King Hezekiah. Hezekiah lived most of his life doing right, but he ended his life tragically by being focused on himself. What led him to turn a triumphant life and a great story into a tragic one in the end? He became proud of his accomplishments, leading him to become overconfident in his abilities. Here was a man who did great things for God, and yet pride destroyed him. Pride will destroy every person. If you don't want your life to end in tragedy and destruction, never become prideful because of your accomplishments. Always remember that every accomplishment you have is because of God, and not because of yourself.

The fourth life is the life of King Josiah. Josiah was a good man, but his life ended tragically because he got sidetracked and meddled in areas that had nothing to do with his calling. Many people have gotten sidetracked by causes that were not bad, but they were not what they were supposed to do, and it pulled them away from what God wanted them to do, ending their lives in compromise and tragedy.

My friend, if these things can destroy these four kings, then you must be careful not to allow them in your life. Stay humble and surrendered to God, keep doing what you are supposed to do until the day of your death, and you can avoid the tragic ending to a triumphant life.