Pride Goes Before a Fall
Studying the prophets of the Old Testament is quite eye opening. We have been studying Jeremiah in our Ladies’ Class every Tuesday afternoon and throughout those chapters we have seen so many thoughts and actions of the people which are clearly mirrored in our society today. In short, they simply thought they knew more than God did when it came to living their lives.
Just a cursory study of the people living in Jeremiah’s day will give you a picture of people who, for the most part, thought that they were beyond needing God. They had turned their back on the true God and had become worshipers of idols. They had turned to dead, lifeless images and trusted in them to protect and provide for their needs. As life went along day after day and they continued in their sinful worship and practices, they let pride grow in their hearts. They could take care of themselves. They didn’t need Jehovah God.
As you study God’s judgments on the nations and cities through the prophet Jeremiah (chapters 46-52), it becomes so evident that they were arrogant and prideful and that God would take them down. Because we have the entire Bible to study and historical books concerning this time in history, we know that all of these empires, nations, and cities fell, just as God had said they would. Their pride went before their fall.
Before we get too hard on them for their pride and unbelief, we might want to take a look at ourselves. How often do we give God credit for the good things that happen in our lives? Do we ever think that without Him we would be nothing? Or do we picture all of our accomplishments for everyone to see on Facebook? Now, don’t get me wrong, I love to see those new baby pictures, and those graduation and wedding pictures, and even those pictures of your children receiving an award.
However, we have all known someone who only posts pictures of themselves when they have received some kind of award in their job or done something they consider to be better than others. It’s as if they are saying, “look at what I did,” and not “look at what God allowed me to accomplish.” Such a person is on the path (if not already there) to becoming arrogant and “puffed up.” Maybe they don’t post a picture, but constantly brag about what they have been doing. It all amounts to the same thing…they are full of pride in themselves and not thankful for the Source of their abilities.
I hope this post helps each of us to check our feelings about our abilities and accomplishments and to realize that without God, we would be nothing.
Many years ago Alexander Pope said it well:
Of all the causes which conspire to blind
Man’s erring judgment, and misguided mind,
What the weak head with strongest bias rules,
Is pride, the never-failing vice of fools!
God says it better through Solomon:
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Whoever give thought to the word will discover good,
and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:18-20)
AUTHOR: Donna Faughn
