Have
you been trying to figure out, no matter what, why you have not been
successful? Why are you continuing to struggle
financially? Why can’t you seem to get
the job you desire? Why is the home you
dream of only a dream and not your reality?
Why does the marriage you long for seem distant or completely out of
view?
As
I was pondering these questions, I went back to the story of Uzziah King of
Judah in 2 Chronicles 26. Uzziah became
king at the age of 16. During this time,
he was considered young, but because he had favor with God, he was victorious
in many things. The Word specifically
says:
4 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had
done. 5 He sought God during the days of Zechariah,
who instructed him in the fear[b] of God. As long as he sought
the Lord, God gave him
success.
Uzziah won many battles, even against the giants
among the Philistines, and even rebuilt towns.
The Bible mentions, “8 The Ammonites
brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt,
because he had become very powerful.” He was a celebrity figure it seems.
And then it happened – he got the big head! The Word says that “his pride led to his
downfall.” Uzziah thought more highly of
himself than he should have and had begun to burn incense on the altar. During this time, only priests who had been
consecrated to burn incense were allowed to do so. He had been warned. Priest Azariah put Uzziah out of the temple. In the moment Uzziah was raging at the
priest, God struck Uzziah with leprosy, a horrible skin disease, right on his forehead - the most noticeable area of his body. He had no choice but to leave and separate
from the people.
What’s
so interesting about this story is that after Uzziah’s death, the only thing
people remembered him for was, “He had leprosy.” Wow…after all of the battles he’d won…after
all of the cities he’d rebuilt...all folk could recall was his affliction...and his obvious disobedience to God!
Key
points:
1.
We
should never discount or disregard our spiritual training.
2.
In
the kingdom of God, there’s no room for foolish pride.
3.
The
Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.
4.
When
we do what is right in the eyes of God, he unleashes an abundance of his favor.
5.
We
should know our place…and stay in it.
6.
To
be successful in all that we do, we have to seek God.
So
if you desire any of the things that are posed in the questions above, go back
to those key points and evaluate where you are in your relationship with God. Are you seeking God? Are you functioning in humility and
obedience? Or are you a “Uzziah”?
Bible
resource:
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