2 Corinthians Chapter 26: 16-17 (NIV)
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.
2 Corinthians Chapter 27: Verse 6 (NIV)
Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.
A tale of two kings – father and son. Uzziah started off so well, consulting the Lord for guidance and he was blessed as long as he followed God. But the material blessings led to his downfall and as he became powerful, he became proud, and he forgot all that God had done. He overstepped the mark when he took it upon himself to minister before the altar of God. That was not his calling. And he responded in anger when the priests tried to warn him. On the other hand, after his death, his son Jotham learned from his father’s experience and he was steadfast in following God. As a result of that faithfulness, he too became powerful, but he continued to follow God and never forgot the source of that power.
There’s nothing wrong with wealth and having authority in our careers for example. But if God blesses us with such, we need to remember that He was the source of that blessing and not us. Indeed, whatever gift God has given us, and we have all been given them, we need to remember that they God-given. We need to handle material things and authority of any kind with care and wisdom. They can be used as a means to show God’s hand at work in our lives, if we follow God’s guidance o how to use them. But if we begin to think that we have earned such things under our own steam, they can also become our undoing.
Dear Lord,
May I never take any of Your many blessings for granted and always seek to use them under Your direction and for Your Glory. I ask in Jesus’ Name.