Sweeter Than Honey: Pride and Punishment

What if we spent a few quiet moments with God each morning? What if we were intentional about making time for it? What if we committed to doing that all year long and by the year’s end we found that we had read the entire Bible!?

How many times, on January 1, have you committed to reading the Bible from cover to cover in a year? I have made that commitment too many times to count, and I have failed too many times to admit.

​A few years ago though, I used a one-year, chronological order of book authorship, Bible Reading Itinerary.

Did you know that Genesis was not the first book of the Bible written? While plans like this vary somewhat, because it is simply impossible to put an exact date on some books of the Bible, the plan I used begins with the book of Job.

Sweeter Than Honey is a 365-day devotional journey ​that leads the reader
​through God's Word ​in chronological order of book authorship.

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON [PAPERBACK | KINDLE]

Let me introduce you to Sweeter Than Honey, friend. It is patterned after that Bible Reading Itinerary.

On Tuesdays, now through the end of the year, I would love it if you and I could take a trip through Sweeter Than Honey together! I'd also like to encourage you to Join us over at the private, Sweeter Than Honey Facebook group and share your thoughts. You'll find like-minded, Christian friends there. Let’s do this! Come join us as we move through the book and God's Word together.

We're waiting for you!

2 Chronicles 23-26: Pride and Punishment

Chapter 26 of 2 Chronicles is a vivid picture of how pride can manifest itself even in the life of someone who seeks to do what is right in God’s eyes. None of us are incapable of becoming a victim of pride. ​

"And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, after the king slept with his fathers. Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.” (2 Chronicles 26:1-5)

“In Jerusalem he made machines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the Temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.” (2 Chronicles 26:15-17)

Pride is a deceiver! It sneaks up on us when things are going well—when things are going our way, when we have all of our ducks in a row. There is no one who is not susceptible to the sin of pride. No matter how much we seek to please God, pride can still rear its ugly head in our life. Uzziah is proof of that here. ​

The saddest words here are “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction” (26:15). Pride is a deceiver that leads to destruction. As we continue reading in chapter 26, we see Uzziah’s punishment. He became a leper and remained that way until his death. He lived a lonely life in a separate house and was no longer able to go into the house of the Lord to worship there as he had before.

Today, let's write a prayer asking God to reveal to us any acts or thoughts of pride in our life.

About Sweeter Than Honey

When I read God’s Word each morning, I find inspiration and insight that keeps my day on track. Join me on this journey. Let’s settle in with His Word—it’s His Love Letter to us. Did you know that? Let’s read it like a Love Letter, expecting to glean something for our walk with Him every day. Let’s look for peace in the chaos and strength for our weaknesses. Even on our busiest days we can carve out a few minutes to refocus on the important. Can’t we? We may have to get up a little earlier, when the house is still and quiet, or stay up a few minutes after the others are tucked in for the night, but we can do this! I know we can!

Let's be intentional about focusing on God’s Word and the truths found there. Let's let it inspire us to live out our faith each day in a way that causes those we come in contact with to want what we have found. God sees you. He knows you by name, He knows the number of hairs on your head, and He cares about every detail of your daily existence. He wrote you a Love Letter. Let’s dive in! ​

JOIN THE SWEETER THAN HONEY PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP

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