There are two chapters assigned for today!

SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 26
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success. [2 Chronicles 26:5] But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. [2 Chronicles 26:16]
To fear God is not about cowering before God, but to put Him in the first place: to see God as the most important, the one to listen to, to honour and trust above all else.
It is to be more confident in God than in myself; it is to trust His wisdom and power more than my own.
Because God is perfect in wisdom and power, we rely on God more than ourselves.
We admit that God’s way is right and good, so we submit to His guidance and will.
As long as Uzziah recognized this, and lived in submission to God, life went well for him.
But success can breed pride, a higher sense of self than is healthy.
The more self-confident we become, the greater the risk that we forget God and rely on our own wisdom and power.

Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same. [Matthew 26:33-35]
Peter, like Uzziah, was a God-seeker; Peter was following Jesus and trusting in Him.
We see the result in his walking on water; God “gave him success” even over the water, as long as he focused on Jesus and trusted in Him.
But Peter also struggled with self-confidence, he was certain that he alone would stand firm even if everyone else denied Jesus.
He became proud, which led to his downfall.
Brave Peter enters the temple (like Uzziah) when Jesus is arrested, thinking that he is strong enough to handle whatever happens; but both Peter and Uzziah fail the test.
Pride goes before the fall.

To fear (respect) the Lord is to be more confident in Him than in ourselves.
In my own setting, am I acting as if I have the resources and the smarts to lead this church?
Am I confident that my gifts are enough to succeed in impacting our community for Christ?
To be honest, yes I do! – even if I know better in my head, my heart feels self-confident.
As I think about the plans that we are laying for Crossroads ministry vision, I am feeling good about the plans themselves, that they are well laid and therefore will succeed.
This is a form of pride, a confidence in self rather than in the Lord.
Brave Norman enters the “temple” of ministry in downtown Ajax confident that I have what it takes to handle the work of the Lord there; like Peter and Uzziah, if I try to do it myself, I will fail!

PRAYER:
Lord, help me to hear the rooster crow before I make this mistake; help me not to learn the hard way (like Uzziah and the leprosy) that this ministry initiative can only succeed if I rely on You, seek You, and follow You!