The Gifted Leper

Uzziah became king as a teenager and served Judah well for nearly 50 years. His friend and mentor was the prophet Zechariah and through the years Uzziah established a reputation as a godly and powerful leader. He was universally victorious against the surrounding enemies and created military equipment that helped Judah become the dominant nation in the region. He was gifted in many ways, and being a man who loved the soil, he used his talents to develop agriculture up and down the valleys and hills of the land.
However, deep inside the man, and away from public knowledge, a virus started invading his heart. When this poison reached the surface and expressed itself in behavior, Uzziah lost all control and his godly reputation crashed. He died a leper in isolation.
All too often it happens that men start well but end poorly. Sometimes it is the very success that cuts them down. Growth, popularity, and a colorful personality can silently and inexorably create a monster inside. Solomon tells us to guard our hearts above all else; his warning is critical. May the Lord help us take notice.
To ignore or despise the warning is a sign that we are already close to the point of no return.
(2 Chronicles 26/Proverbs 4:23)