Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Prov. 16:18).
Pride is a sort of atheism. It puts the glory of the creature above the Creator. Of Lucifer we are told that his "heart was lifted up" because of his beauty (Eze. 28:17), and the testimony of Jesus is "I beheld Satan as lightening fall from heaven" (Luke 10:18).
Of the mighty empire of Egypt, God said, "The pride of her power shall come down" (Eze. 30:6). That's the direction of pride and haughtiness--downward, always downward. The mighty power of the Philistines was cut off because of pride (Zech. 9:6), and the pride of Assyria was brought low (Zech. 10:11). In the fullness of his pride Nebuchadnezzar viewed the mighty city of Babylon and said, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for...the honour of my majesty?" (Dan. 4:30). The words were no more than out of his mouth when his reason was taken from him and he was reduced to the mentality of a beast, and he fed on grass until he learned "that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men" (verse 17). Of mighty Babylon itself God said, "I am against thee, O thou most proud ["pride," margin]" (Jer. 50:31).
Why should we have false pride? We have nothing that was not given to us. "If you want to realize your own importance," said Robert Burdette, "put your finger into a bowl of water, then take it out and look at the hole."
When Albert Schweitzer--doctor, philosopher, musician, and missionary--was building his hospital in French Equatorial Africa, a local man was asked to help. He refused, saying that he was an intellectual. "I once thought I was an intellectual," Schweitzer said as he returned to his work. The greater the man, the greater his true humility. "Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?"
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity" (Ps. 39:5).
Pride is a sort of atheism. It puts the glory of the creature above the Creator. Of Lucifer we are told that his "heart was lifted up" because of his beauty (Eze. 28:17), and the testimony of Jesus is "I beheld Satan as lightening fall from heaven" (Luke 10:18).
Of the mighty empire of Egypt, God said, "The pride of her power shall come down" (Eze. 30:6). That's the direction of pride and haughtiness--downward, always downward. The mighty power of the Philistines was cut off because of pride (Zech. 9:6), and the pride of Assyria was brought low (Zech. 10:11). In the fullness of his pride Nebuchadnezzar viewed the mighty city of Babylon and said, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for...the honour of my majesty?" (Dan. 4:30). The words were no more than out of his mouth when his reason was taken from him and he was reduced to the mentality of a beast, and he fed on grass until he learned "that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men" (verse 17). Of mighty Babylon itself God said, "I am against thee, O thou most proud ["pride," margin]" (Jer. 50:31).
Why should we have false pride? We have nothing that was not given to us. "If you want to realize your own importance," said Robert Burdette, "put your finger into a bowl of water, then take it out and look at the hole."
When Albert Schweitzer--doctor, philosopher, musician, and missionary--was building his hospital in French Equatorial Africa, a local man was asked to help. He refused, saying that he was an intellectual. "I once thought I was an intellectual," Schweitzer said as he returned to his work. The greater the man, the greater his true humility. "Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?"
MEDITATION PRAYER: "Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity" (Ps. 39:5).
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