BEWARE
OF PRIDE I
Memorise
Pride
goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
Read
Isaiah 40:13-17
40:13 Who
hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
40:14 With
whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of
judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
40:15 Behold,
the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the
balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
40:16 And
Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a
burnt offering.
40:17 All
nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than
nothing, and vanity.
Message
A person that is self-existing and is
self-sufficient is the only one that has the right to be proud. There is
however no single person in all of human history that is self-existing or
self-sufficient. Only God, who is the creator of all things that there is –
man, animals, elements, molecules, atoms etc, is self-existing and
self-sufficient. The Bible in 1 Timothy 6:16 says this of Him:
“Who
only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto;
whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.
It is therefore only God that has the exclusive
right to pride. Yet, it is obvious that even God does not exhibit pride. This
is shown in the regard He has even for lesser beings of His creation.
Considering the infinite superiority of His being to anything or anyone else,
one would expect Him to relate with us with impunity and not to be mindful of
us at all (Psalm 8:4). In spite of the gap between his awesomeness and our
lowly estate, God still condescend to relate with us. He shows concern for us
in all of our predicaments, even to the point of making the ultimate self sacrifice.
He gave His son to die for our sins so as to deliver us from the grave
consequences of sin. God, the Almighty, the creator of the universe, the One
larger than all that is and can ever be imagined, still makes Himself available
to us at our beckoning. He protects, provide for, deliver, wipe tears from our
eyes and pat us on the back etc, we mere mortals! Who then are you to be full
of yourself, to be high minded, haughty or to look down on everyone else, just
because of your position in your office, your wealth, talents, skills or
beauty? All these are privileges; it is the Almighty God that gave you all
these. No man receives anything except it is given by God (John 3:27, James
1:17).
You should therefore be wise and come down from the dangerous position
you have allowed pride to put you in. Your pride is essentially putting you in
the position of God. This perhaps is not known to you, and may not be your
intent, but unknown to you, that is your state. The mercy of God is being
extended to you through this devotional this day, so that you may repent and
not allow the unpleasant experience of the wrath of God meant for the proud to
come upon you before you learn. Ask King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:1-34, he
would tell you better.
Key
Point:
Destruction is the reward for pride.
BIBLE
IN ONE YEAR
2 Kings 17:24-19:7
Proverbs 24:8-20
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