"Our Greatest Temptation" May 4 Readings: 2 Kings 15, 2 Chronicles 26
Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2024
This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened." Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.
Bible Readings: 2 Kings 15, 2 Chronicles 26
Background:
We continue to read through the kings of Israel and Judah. It is important to note that Azariah in Kings is Uzziah in Chronicles.
Daily Devotional: Our Greatest Temptation
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord."
That is the well-known line from Isaiah 6:1 which begins the story of Isaiah's great vision of God in which he sees God exalted, is cleansed by a hot coal, and is called to pronounce the judgment of God on a sinful nation. In 2 Chronicles 26, we read the story of the death of Uzziah, a story that is all too common among the kings of Judah.
What is the greatest temptation you could face? Of course, that would be different for each of us - we are not all alike. But the greatest temptation both according to Scripture and according to the testimony of life is success. Riches, fame, and adulation have led more people astray than just about any other sin.
Paul was not kidding when he told Timothy that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."
There is an unfortunate history among the kings of Judah that is repeated in the life of Uzziah. He began as a man of God led in righteousness by his father Amaziah. But as his 52-year reign went on he grew arrogant. God had given the service of the Temple into the hands of Levites but Uzziah decided that he was above the law. He took the incense into the house of God himself and offered it.
God did not respond well to Uzziah's affront. He was struck with a serious skin disease that was a humiliating reminder of his sin until the day he died. Because of that infection, he was no longer allowed to even enter the temple area.
Uzziah was tempted because he because successful, self-reliant, and impressed with his own greatness. When we struggle, when hard times crush us, we are often moved to seek God for the help we need. But when the skies are clear and the winds are smooth we think we can sail the seas on our own. That illusion is dangerous. No matter how successful we are, how easy life becomes, and how much honor comes our way, we are still dependent on God's grace and his power.
That is the well-known line from Isaiah 6:1 which begins the story of Isaiah's great vision of God in which he sees God exalted, is cleansed by a hot coal, and is called to pronounce the judgment of God on a sinful nation. In 2 Chronicles 26, we read the story of the death of Uzziah, a story that is all too common among the kings of Judah.
What is the greatest temptation you could face? Of course, that would be different for each of us - we are not all alike. But the greatest temptation both according to Scripture and according to the testimony of life is success. Riches, fame, and adulation have led more people astray than just about any other sin.
Paul was not kidding when he told Timothy that "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."
There is an unfortunate history among the kings of Judah that is repeated in the life of Uzziah. He began as a man of God led in righteousness by his father Amaziah. But as his 52-year reign went on he grew arrogant. God had given the service of the Temple into the hands of Levites but Uzziah decided that he was above the law. He took the incense into the house of God himself and offered it.
God did not respond well to Uzziah's affront. He was struck with a serious skin disease that was a humiliating reminder of his sin until the day he died. Because of that infection, he was no longer allowed to even enter the temple area.
Uzziah was tempted because he because successful, self-reliant, and impressed with his own greatness. When we struggle, when hard times crush us, we are often moved to seek God for the help we need. But when the skies are clear and the winds are smooth we think we can sail the seas on our own. That illusion is dangerous. No matter how successful we are, how easy life becomes, and how much honor comes our way, we are still dependent on God's grace and his power.
Father, may I never become self-reliant and arrogant. May I trust you and depend on you every day for the rest of my life.
Consider God's Word:
Are you self-reliant or do you remember your sinful weakness and depend on God for everything?
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