ODJ: stay in your lane
September 30, 2009
As long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success (v.5).
READ: 2 Chronicles 26:3-21
Stay in your lane!” bellowed the sergeant at the trainee. “You’ve got help. Trust your buddies!” The brash young private liked to take charge and do things by himself. And now he had turned from his assigned position on the patrol’s right flank to help defend against an ambush from the left. But the sergeant knew what the trainee didn’t: The “enemy” would attack from the right. The ambush was merely a planned ruse in the exercise.
Military training humbles individuals, breaking them down to rebuild them as part of a team. Life has a way of doing that as well.
Long ago, a great military leader learned that lesson when he tried to take on too much. And the real tragedy was that it brought him down after a lifetime of solid service.
Uzziah was an excellent king who implemented badly needed reforms in Judah. Under the tutelage of the prophet Zechariah, he followed God and enjoyed military victories against his enemies. “But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall” (2 Chronicles 26:16).
One day, Uzziah entered the sanctuary to usurp the priestly duties. When the high priest Azariah and 80 priests confronted the arrogant king, Uzziah became enraged. Yet as he railed against the priests, “leprosy suddenly broke out on his forehead” (v.19). Uzziah lived the rest of his days in quarantine, unable to lead his people.
Many who claim to love Jesus don’t show it by serving Him. But others—perhaps trying to pick up the slack—take too much on themselves. They want to fix the world’s problems in their own strength.
Both approaches are wrong. But as we “stay in our lane,” relying on the Lord each day for strength and wisdom, He can use us for His glory—not ours.
—Tim Gustafson
Do you tend to try to do too much for God? What’s the one thing you can do differently that will please Him today?
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Patience, humble, surrender to God, faith, and believe are the answers..
The first and important thing one needs to discover in life is that it is not by our power or our strength that makes us who we are today. It is God. Realizing this will go a long way in helping us make right decisions. We will not miss it in Life. Amen.