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Monday, January 5, 2015
Page #8
Faith by Debbie Wallis people who depend only on Him,” Matthew 5:3. If you depend on God it would be pride that says you have the authority to take an innocent life that God Himself created. Pride would believe that the God of all Truth would close His ears to a lie. A prideful person would think he is above the consequences of judgment for evil plans. Pride bears a false witness and doesn’t trust the Lord for the outcome. Pride stirs up trouble with family, friends, coworkers and peers.
“These six or seven things the Lord hates; A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that makes evil plans, feet that are quick to do wrong, a false witness that will lie in court or stir up trouble among brothers,” Proverbs 6:16-19. A proud look reveals a heart that hasn’t submitted to the Lordship of the Trinity. God doesn’t look on the outward appearance of man, but at the heart. In this list, a proud look is mentioned even before murder, lying, causing dissent and mischief. There is a difference between the kind of pride that God hates and the kind of pride we feel for a job well done. Proverbs 8:13, “If you respect the Lord, you will hate evil. I hate pride, conceit and deceitful lies.” The pride that stems from self-righteousness is sin and God hates it because it’s a hindrance to seeking Him. Psalms 10:4 explains that the proud are so consumed with themselves that their thoughts are far from God: “In all his thoughts there is no room for God.” This kind of pride is the opposite of the humility that God seeks. “God blesses those
Throughout Scripture, we are told that there are consequences to being prideful. “Too much pride will destroy you. You are better off being humble and poor than to get rich from getting things by force,” Proverbs 16:18-19. Don’t pretend to be more than you are. God has great plans for you and you don’t need to make yourself bigger by your own pride. Wait for Him to promote you and don’t compare yourself to others. What God says about you will make a difference. “We don’t dare compare ourselves with those who think so much of themselves. But they are foolish to compare themselves with themselves. We won’t brag about something we don’t have a right to brag about. We will only brag about the work that God has sent us to do and you are part of that work,” 2 Corinthians 10:12-13. Satan was cast out of Heaven because of pride (Isaiah 14:12-15). He had the selfish intent to replace God with himself as the rightful ruler of the universe. But all who rise up against God, there is nothing ahead but disaster (Isaiah 14:22). Why is pride so sinful? Pride takes the credit for something that God has accomplished. Pride is essentially self-worship. Pride says, “I’m never wrong”, pride wants its
own way, pride thinks about itself first, last and in between. Pride says I can do this on my own and pride also says I can’t do this even with You, God. Pride disagrees with God and has no fear of the Lord. Proverbs 8:13 says to fear the Lord is to hate evil and God calls pride evil. As you leave what didn’t get finished in 2014, take a deep inventory of your life. God has bigger plans for you than you can accomplish on your own. The destiny He created you for requires you to humbly call on His strength. He will make the way and He desires you to get out of your comfort zone and follow Him.
If you don’t have a Bible please contact me at sfadebbie@yahoo.com and I will provide you with one.
