Over and over and over again, Second Chronicles talks about kings who follow the Lord for a little bit then their PRIDE gets the best of them. Let’s try to not be so prideful as Christians, as Americans, as anything. However we are human and flawed and we are going to be proud of many things. I know that I get personally prideful of LOTS of things, so I need to tell myself more often that it’s a blessing not a boast. Yes, we (especially me) must have more praises of thanks to God over any pride… As we seek the Lord, let us kneel humbly in awe over standing proud 

King Uzziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of [priest] Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.

Second Chronicles 26 recounts an episode of this king Uzziah (mostly good at the beginning) of getting carried away, then being afflicted by leprosy instantly. His plight reminds us that we best not get too big for our britches! 

A friend posted a share from a Facebook page that used pride and Christian in the title. I’m not sure they posted anything skrtchy, but the title scared me… As Jesus did, surely we all should TRY to walk away from even getting close to straddling the line of prideful showboating or strutting, and instead hope to hold onto humble gratitude. 

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13

Here is king Uzziah’s story, he and we are not perfect but God’s line thru the House of David was kept intact. It brought HOPE, brought us Jesus to take our sins away. We don’t deserve this but Jesus saved us anyway. Now, we won’t be blemish-looking to God when He sees Jesus’s sacrificial coverage over our skin. Jesus saved our skin.

Be humble AND happy. Amen

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king [of Judah], and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. 

… 

His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.”

Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him.

King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous, and banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.