Question: What is the primary reason for pride?

Answer: But when King Uzziah became strong, he grew arrogant, and that led to his downfall. He defied the Lord his God by going into the Temple to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest, accompanied by eighty strong and courageous priests, followed the king  to resist him. They said, “Uzziah! You have no right to burn incense to the Lord. Only the priests who are descended from Aaron have been consecrated to do this. Leave this holy place. You have offended the Lord God, and you no longer have his blessing.”

¹Uzziah was standing there in the Temple beside the incense altar and was holding an incense burner. He became angry with the priests, and immediately a dreaded skin disease broke out on his forehead. Azariah and the other priests stared at the king’s forehead in horror and then forced him to leave the Temple. He hurried to get out, because the Lord had punished him. For the rest of his life King Uzziah was ritually unclean  because of his disease

Praise the Lord, today is May 8th, I want to meditate on 2 Chro 26:16. The word goes this way “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God“

Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem.  He did right in the sight of the Lord. He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had an understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought (inquired of, longing for) the Lord, God caused him to prosper

God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabs and many victories. He also had farmers and vinedressers in the hill country and in the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle. In Jerusalem, he made machines of war invented by skillful men to be put on the towers.

But when Uzziah became strong, he became so proud [of himself and his accomplishments] that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful and sinned against the Lord his God, for he went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. When the priests stopped him he became angry, he became a leper and was one till he died.

The lessons, godly counsel kept Uzziah in the righteous path, success and power made Uzziah proud. Remember we are on the same path, appreciation of men, our possessions, our competitions, our victories, our promotions WILL make us proud unless we are at His feet examing and surrendering regularly.  Let me leave this final thought is it “Success to Surrender or is it Power to Pride”