Today’s Scripture: 2 Chronicles 26-28

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. – Proverbs 16:18

In our city, the police cars all bear the slogan “Serve with pride.” Now I think that’s a positive thing, because it deals with dignity and self-respect. As Christians, we need to cultivate pride and self-esteem while avoiding the cost of egotism and conceit.

Much of my life has been spent in working with young men and women in a discipleship ministry. All along this narrow pathway lurk hazards to their growth and development. And one of them is the deadly sin of arrogant pride. Whenever I spot the warning signs of this kind of pride in the life of a person with whom I’m working, we stop everything and do a Bible study on 2 Chronicles 26.

Here we are introduced to King Uzziah, who was sixteen years old when he became king. As long as he sought the Lord, God caused him to prosper. He had victory in the battle against the Philistines, their ancient foe. He built mighty towers and fortified the city of Jerusalem. He had a great, well-equipped, standing army, along with war machines to shoot arrows and hurl large stones.

With all that going for him, you’d think he would be safe. But he wasn’t. The Bible says, “When he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction.” He fell, through the sin of pride. When he had grown great in power, popularity, and wealth, he did not lift up the name of God in gratitude. His prosperity puffed him up, and down he went.

I have seen this sin of pride, more than any other, take its toll in people’s lives.

Prayer

Lord, help me to see the warning signs of pride so that I can walk humbly with You. Amen.

To Ponder

Pride is one of the most subtle sins Satan uses to bring us down.

 

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