Read: 2 Chronicles 26:16-23; Philippians 4:12
When he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. (2 Chron. 26:16)
Many conversion stories follow a pattern: “I was weak and down on my knees, and then took Jesus into my heart.” Praise God this does indeed happen! But what does the gospel say to the affluent, the gifted, the strong?
In today’s reading, the name of the king is “Uzziah” (rather than Azariah in 2 Kings 15, perhaps to avoid confusion with the chief priest Azariah), which means literally, “The LORD is my strength.” Under King Uzziah, the Chronicler traces the restoration of Eloth, a port city on the Red Sea, the organization of a sizeable army, and Uzziah’s use of ancient technology for military defense. Strength is not inherently a bad thing, but what King Uzziah did with his strength was the problem: “he grew proud” (2 Chron. 26:16). Uzziah took over the role of the priests and usurped their God-given authority (v. 18). As a result, he became physically sick with leprosy that brought about his death (v. 21). He died an outcast, betrayed by his own strength.
The apostle Paul gives witness that we can relate to Jesus when we are weak; but even more challenging is to live in Christ when we are strong (Phil. 4:12). For those of us today who are gifted, strong, and affluent, what would happen if we realized how much greater life could be if our resources and strength are given a higher purpose and related to Jesus Christ?
As you pray, ask Jesus to help not only in times of weakness, but also in times of great strength.
About the Author
Kent Fry is a retired pastor and visiting research fellow at the Van Raalte Institute in Holland Michigan.
