Ancient Words For Today - 47
The 13th chapter of the Book of Jeremiah tells a very interesting story. The Lord God told Jeremiah the prophet to put on a linen belt about his waist. Later, God told him to go to the mighty Euphrates River and hide the belt in a hole of the rock. After many days, the Lord told Jeremiah to go and retrieve the belt. When he did, Jeremiah found that it was ruined and had become profitable for nothing. God told Jeremiah that in the same manner He would ruin the pride of Israel. He would do so because they had become an evil people which refused to hear God's words, walked in the imagination of their hearts, and walked after other gods, to serve them and worship them, and had become good for nothing. God said that as a belt clings to the waist of a man, so had He caused to cling unto Himself the whole nation Israel, so that they might be onto Him for a people, and for a nation, and for a name, and for a praise and for a glory: but they would not hear. Their disobedience and pride had turned their hearts away from obeying, serving and glorifying the True and Living God. Instead, they had begun to worship and serve false gods, that could neither help nor save them from their enemies, and walk after whatsoever seemed pleasing to themselves.
Pride develops in the heart of man as he begins to magnify himself, become boastful, and rely on himself, his resources, intelligence, charisma, power base or any other strength and talent he may have, instead of relying on the God that created him and endowed him with all those things. Even Christians, whom the Lord has called, empowered and set apart to accomplish His will, must be careful against prideful thoughts and the kind of destructive self-reliance which causes us to think more highly of ourselves than we should and to rely on ourselves in all that we do, rather than on God. Such behavior leads to sin and separation from fellowship with God, who loves us more than anyone.
God hates pride, in fact it tops the list of the seven things God hates and are an abomination to Him:
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19
If prideful thoughts should flood our mind, we should immediately refocus our thinking to remember that it was the Lord God who created us, and not we ourselves. He is the potter and we are the clay. It is God working in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. Instead of glorifying ourselves, we should give glory to God, our creator, who endowed us with special gifts and gives us opportunities to use them for His purposes. We should be humbled before our God, being thankful that He loves us and has redeemed us from our sins by an act of His grace. Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised, who has given us the victory through faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior!!
But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. 2 Corinthians 10:17-18
Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:1-4
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31