Our Daily Bread this morning relates the story of King Uzziah’s downfall. Uzziah allowed his pride to consume him and he ignored God’s role in his success. As a consequence he was struck with leprosy:

Dwight L. Moody said, When a man thinks he has got a good deal of strength, and is self-confident, you may look for his downfall. It may be years before it comes to light, but it is already commenced. This was true of King Uzziah.

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Uzziahs life was one of great power and human success until he became blinded by it. His pride was evidenced in several ways: he challenged Gods holiness by trespassing the temple and presuming upon a position he would never be able to have (v.16); he viewed Gods power as good but not absolutely necessary for his leadership (vv.5,16); he refused godly correction and counsel (vv.18-19); he bypassed his opportunity to repent; and he ignored, instead of feared, the consequences of his sin (vv.18-19).

Read the rest of the devotional at odb.org.

Are there any areas of success in your life that you haven’t given credit to God for?

Those are certainly good things, but the Bible sets a different and more compelling standard for our lives than simple material happiness and stability. According to this Our Daily Bread devotional, human beings find true fulfillment when they become whole:

The issue was not happiness, prosperity, or satisfaction, but wholeness. This is the great need of us all.

In the King James Version of the Bible, the word whole is often used to describe Jesus’ work of physical healing. When the Lord encountered a man who had been an invalid for 38 years, He asked, “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:5-6 KJV). After Jesus healed the man, He challenged him to also embrace spiritual wholeness: “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (v.14).

If we only want something Jesus can do for us, our relationship with Him will be limited. When we want Jesus Himself, He brings completeness to our lives. Christ wants, first and foremost, to make us whole.

Consider the last 24 hours of your life. Are your actions and thoughts during that time characterized by wholeness? As you go through your day today, take a few moments to think through these questions:

1. Does your life feel “whole”? Why or why not?
2. Is there such a thing as an incomplete, or “limited,” relationship with Jesus? What would that look like?
3. What change does Jesus bring into your life when he makes you whole?