Read 2 Chronicles 26:1-23
King Uzziah’s victorious life crumbles when pride takes over. This is precisely what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:18. It reads, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” I would say that contracting leprosy destroyed Uzziah’s life. Do you think he realized his fate was the result of his change of heart?
Uzziah’s reign was the longest so far for Judah’s kings. Before his fall, Uzziah accomplished many things for the benefit of Judah. How could anybody miss that his success was a gift from the LORD? The Chronicler’s words speak volumes here. “And as long as the king sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success.”
It’s easy for us to look at the stories of Judah’s kings and marvel at how these rulers can go from good to bad! It seems they fall prey to many of the same “demons” we face today. We look around and constantly see a push for success, earning more money, having more stuff, being popular. People believe these milestones can only be achieved on our own strength.
Back in Uzziah’s time, it was the conquest of land and power grabs against other nations that motivated leaders. But it was God who was instrumental in the success of those battles. Sadly, it’s easy for tendencies of the flesh to kick in wanting to take credit for something God orchestrated. That was what led to Uzziah’s fall from grace.
So what can we do to make sure we don’t displease God? We can try to control our actions and not be arrogant about our own abilities. It’s one thing to have confidence in certain circumstances, it’s entirely another to not place our trust in God. The answer is humility. Proverbs 11:2 says, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Humility is not weakness. It takes great strength to be humble. Two things we can do to stay grounded in humility are to be grateful and be generous. Both actions take the focus off of ourselves. When we are grateful for all that we have, we have peace. When we are generous and giving to those around us, we find joy.
Let’s pray. LORD, I thank you for how you have provided for me my whole life. I am especially grateful for all the course corrections you have made to help me learn from my mistakes. Forgive me for taking so long to understand how special connecting with you can be. Continue to open my eyes to the truth of your word each day. I look forward to each new understanding and drawing closer to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
