SUNDAY September 23, 2018
Guard Against Pride
“Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for the Lord is the God of knowledge; and by Him
actions are weighed.”
1 Samuel 2:3
Penniah could no longer provoke Hannah and make her miserable. Hannah was no longer barren; she now had a child. The Lord silenced her rival; Penniah could no longer be so proud.
How many times do people, especially in leadership, become arrogant and proud? Seriously, pride can easily be noticed by what words come out of the mouth. Proverbs 16:18 warns against pride: Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
As Christians, we need to remain humble, and not proud and arrogant. We must remember, God is the One who works through us to minister to others. It is His anointing in our lives. It is God’s Word that has the power to transform lives––it is nothing of us. Pride is what caused Satan to fall:
“…I [God] destroyed you, O covering cherub… Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground.”
God is omniscient. He has infinite knowledge and understanding. The Bible declares: Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite (Psalms 147:7). The words of the prophet Isaiah challenge us: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable (Isaiah 40:28).
The Lord is the One who increases our knowledge. Our capacity for spiritual knowledge and wisdom does not come from studying books. When teaching the Word of God to other people, we must be careful to remain simple and not give to them our gained, intellectual knowledge from books. God uses those who remain humble and simple.
All who exalt themselves wage war with God.
~John Calvin~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!