Bible Reading: Isaiah 16:1-end
“We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so” – Isaiah 16:6(KJV).
Pride has three broad meaning and usage as follows: – 1. A sense of one’s own proper dignity or value; self-respect. 2. Pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession or association e.g. Parental pride. 3. Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness. This is an excessively high opinion of oneself; conceit. Our today’s scriptural verse is referring to the third definition and that is what we are looking at today.
The bible says in Proverb 16:18(KJV), “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”. Arrogance is a product of pride. It is an excessive display of superiority or self-importance. Most times arrogance or pride is a smoke screen to cover complex and deficiency underneath. Pride repels your helpers and becomes the recipients trapping for destruction. Pride dispels favour and attracts retribution. Pride is inimical to growth and progress. An arrogant and proud person attracts hatred and rejection from people. Pride is of the flesh as it denies God of His glory for our achievements or what we have become and instead glory in self. ”The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” – Psalms 10:4(KJV).
Pride claims self-made man and denies God in our life. Pride is a satanic snare for destruction. It applies to all spheres of life. The church is not free from its tentacles. Most ministers have lost their gift and calling due to pride by taking glory for God’s hand upon their life. The proud is full of I and not we. Pride result in disgrace and shame. Pride blinds a man’s vision and reasoning, thereby producing shame at the long run. “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” – Proverbs 11:2 (KJV)
Pride is of the devil and must be resisted by a genuine child of God. Satan’s pride led to his fall and being cast out from heaven. “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee” – Ezekiel 28:15(KJV). The iniquity found in Satan was pride that led to his inordinate ambition of overthrowing God. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! ….For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most high” – Isaiah 14: 12-14(KJV). The word “I” dominates these scriptural verses. From Lucifer’s fall we can see a clear example of pride going before destruction, hence it is pertinent that a Christian must pursue living a humble life like Jesus Christ, “Who, being in the form of God, ……..But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,…….And being found in fashion as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” – Philippians 2: 6-8(KJV). We have the example of Christ for us to follow doggedly in order to guaranty our lifting.
Prayer: Father by your grace help me to live a humble life like Jesus Christ my Lord.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo