The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 28:7

At only 16 years of age, Uzziah was crowned king of Judah. Uzziah’s powerful reputation was known among other nations. In Philistia, he tore down walls and built cities. He collected tribute from the Ammonites. His fame spread as far as the entrance of Egypt (2 Chronicles 26:8 HCSB).

Uzziah was strong in his own country as well. He built up and fortified the towers in Jerusalem. He amassed a large, powerful army, equipping them with a variety of armor and weapons. He even designed some kind of contraptions to shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls (2 Chronicles 26:15) for the protection of Jerusalem.

What was his secret for success? It is found in 2 Chronicles. God helped him (2 Chronicles 26:7). God made him very powerful (2 Chronicles 26:8). As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success (2 Chronicles 26:5). He was marvelously helped until he became strong (2 Chronicles 26:15 HCSB).

At some point Uzziah forgot God was behind his success and power. He went into the temple to burn incense. Big mistake! Only the priests should do that. Although warned by 80 priests, Uzziah refused to humble himself, raging against the priests. God’s judgment was swift. Immediately leprosy broke out on Uzziah’s forehead. Because of his arrogance, Uzziah would never again enter the temple, and he would live in seclusion for the remainder of his days.

In contrast, king David freely proclaimed, The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him (Psalm 28:7).

Lord, may we learn from the examples you gave us in the Bible and always remember that you alone are our strength. Like David may we declare, “The Lord is my strength.”

Terri