Day Three Hundred Seventeen “One Bad Grade”

            Nothing struck more dread into this young, elementary school student than report card day.  Most of that achievement summary was great; I always did well in spelling, reading, writing, and any type of history.  But noticeably absent from that list is math.  We received two math grades, one for computation and one for problem solving.  Ah, problem solving, the source of my demise, that stupid If Mary had 2 apples and Nate gave her 3 more, now how many apples does Mary have? scenario. What a shame to mar that fine report card with one stinky grade, but since I could never convince my teacher to enact some type of drop-the-lowest-grade compromise, I had to exert a lot more effort to improve on that dreaded weak spot.

            Uzziah was a mere teenager when he would be called on to reign over the Kingdom of Judah.  Barely old enough to drive a chariot, he found himself steering a nation!  The boy-king would reign for over a half century, do “that which was right in the sight of the LORD,” and earn quite an impressive report card.  He would get an A in Architecture, building “towers in Jerusalem…and in the desert,” and “cities about Ashdod.” High marks would be earned in Agriculture, “for he had much cattle…husbandmen…and vine dressers,” and in Armed Forces, as he “had a host of fighting men,” and armed them thoroughly with “shields, and spears, and helmets, habergeons, and bows, and slings.”  And his overall Achievement Score was amazing, for “his name was spread far abroad.”  But unfortunately, one weakness would mar his overall report card, for he would also earn an A in Arrogance.

            What was this promising, godly king’s downfall?  “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.”  He would assume the responsibility reserved only for the priests, that of offering incense to the Lord, and that presumption would result in his being struck with leprosy and exiled from his people.  The pride of his heart and the arrogance of his attitude would ultimately doom him to a tragic, lonely death.

            When Uzziah was at his strongest in human terms, he was at his weakest spiritually.  Perhaps that is why Paul reminds us of this important truth, “for when I am weak, then am I strong.”  How’s my spiritual report card? 

Proverbs 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Lord, pride can be so deadly in my life, and my flesh is drawn to it so easily. Keep me humble in Your sight.

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