Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king and reigned 52 years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the Lord’s sight. During the time that he sought the Lord, God gave him success. But when he became strong, he grew arrogant and it led to his own destruction. He acted unfaithfully against the Lord his God by going into the Lord’s sanctuary to burn incense on the incense altar. Azariah the priest said, “Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully! You will not receive honor from the Lord.” But when Uzziah became enraged with the priest, a skin disease broke out on his forehead, and he was diseased until the time of his death. He was buried with his fathers in the burial ground of the king’s cemetery, for they said, “He has a skin disease.” Selections from 2 Chronicles 26
My words…
Praise
If words had pores, these would be oozing with pride. You must have been so pleased with Uzziah at the beginning of his reign and so disappointed by the end – a scenario You’ve seen played out too many times, another U-turn. The bend began when he became strong. Then came the arrogance fed by pride. Pride is a powerful feeder. But the bend was complete when Uzziah settled in his mind that he could go anywhere and do anything that pleased him. He marched into the Holy Place and lit incense, something only a specially appointed man could do. Uzziah was not that specially appointed man, and when he was reminded, he didn’t like it – not one bit. And that’s when You acted. I find it interesting that You did not afflict Uzziah when he unlawfully lit the incense but when he got mad when Azariah reprimanded him for doing it. Pride reared its ugly head. The U-turn was complete. A heartbreaking moment in heaven. The U-turns continue, and so does the heartache.
Prayer for others
Lord, I believe You battle. Your archangels battle. You battle at the top of the bend to keep Your children from turning away and tumbling headlong to their destruction. I pray You will open the spiritual eyes of those who are teetering, who are about to make a decision to give in to their pride and turn their backs on You. Allow them to see the battle, and to see the love of the One who battles for them.
More praise
I don’t like to think of You grieving for Your lost children. You don’t deserve that. You deserve to be delighted by Your children. The U-turn path is heavily traveled by those who once delighted You. They loved You, and You blessed them. But pride slithered onto the scene. I lost a child before I had the chance to know him. My grief was great. If I lost a child I have loved for years, how much greater would be my grief? Is it the same for You?
