People often find ways to turn something good into something bad. It even happens in churches. Perhaps a person at first lives by God’s teachings but then lets power or fear change him into a source of trouble. Or maybe a church program that began with the right intentions gets sidetracked by the jealousy or anger or lack of wisdom of the people running the program. When these things happen, it takes someone with a heart for God, the courage of convictions, and wisdom from the Holy Spirit to confront the problem.

The people of Judah found out how true that was. In their case, the good-thing-turned-bad was the bronze serpent that Moses had fashioned years earlier to help the people during the Exodus. Back then, the serpent had represented the healing power of God, which was given to those who looked upon it (Num. 21:5-9).

But by Hezekiah’s time, the bronze figure had become an object of worship. It took courage, wisdom, and a clear understanding of God’s power for him to order the serpent destroyed and to restore proper worship (2 Ki. 18:4).

When something good turns bad, it takes a spiritually strong person to tackle the problem. With God’s help, are you willing to be that person?