2 Kings 14-15, 2 Chronicles 25-27: Did your mom ever tell you “don’t get too big for your britches”? In the case of King Uzziah that is exactly what happened and he paid a heavy price for it. Uzziah had started out well doing the things that brought God honor and glory.
2 Chronicles 26:5He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.
I love how it says “He set himself to seek God”. That is the way for us to see God do great things in our life. We see and go where He wants us to go and do what He says. As long as we seek Him he will prosper us though it may not be a physical prosperity as in money, but it is His presence and His blessings. Uzziah would have done well if he continued down this path, but this is how the scripture describes his “too big for his britches” moment.
26:16But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
Uzziah had usurped the job of the priest and considered himself holy enough to present his own sacrifice. God immediately passed judgement and leprosy broke out on his skin. Uzziah though the king spent the rest of his life separated from his family and his kingdom. It was a sad ending to what had been a good kingship.
Has pride ever cost you? Maybe anger was the culprit that caused you to lose greatly. Uzziah allowed his pride and anger to take away his freedom and his kingdom. Choosing to humble ourselves is huge in receiving God’s blessing. The New Testament reminds us that pride goes before a fall. It is much better to choose humility than to be broken by pride.
Check your heart, set yourself up to seek the Lord and choose humility. It is the best way to receive God’s favor.