Text: 2 Chronicles 26:16
Further Reading: 2 Chronicles 26:1-23
But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
2 Chronicles 26:16 NKJV
MESSAGE
Yesterday we established that God can use anyone and anything to fulfill His purpose, therefore it is important to know that no one is indispensable. This reality should make us serve God with holy fear and truth. We can not think of ourselves as anything beyond what God has called us to be.
The fact that we are walking in the power of God does not make us the only person that God can use. We have only received grace to walk in that dimension. Because it is all grace you must avoid pride.
One way satan ensnare great men of God is through pride. The enemy will make you think that it is by your strenght that you have become what you have become.
Recently I read again in the Bible the tragic story of a King who started well but finished terribly because of pride. That King was Uzziah in our text and reading of the day. The Bible recorded that while he did what was right in the sight of God, God made him so great. He made many inventions and completed many projects.
Then suddenly we found this line, “But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction,” II Chronicles 26:16 NKJV. This line was similar to that which was used to describe the pride that eventually led to the fall of satan.
“You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you”. Ezekiel 28:15 NKJV
Just as satan lost his estate and position and God replaced him with hundreds of millions of His children of all ages to worship him, so also was Uzziah deposed and replaced while still alive. Today, satan must be out there living in regret for allowing pride to overtake him.
We also must be careful, now that we are God’s children, we must not allow pride to make us lose our position in Him. Remember, God gives more grace to the humble but He resists the proud. God can and will easily substitute anyone that is proud and raise someone else instead.
REFLECTION
A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.
Proverbs 29:23 NKJV
Pride demotes, while humility promotes. Chose to be humble.
PRAYER
Father, please deliver me from every from of pride in Jesus’ name.
