Francesco Crispi is not a name associated with greatness. Crispi was the Prime Minister of Italy in 1896 and the cause of one of the worst military defeats in history, the long-forgotten Battle of Adwa. Fighting in Africa, an Italian army of 14,500 was facing a force of 100,000 Ethiopians. The sensible thing, Italian military observers advised, was to wait. The Ethiopians had overextended their supply lines and were beginning to starve. Within a few days, they would likely disband and scatter. But Crispi wanted a quick victory for political purposes. Believing his troops were superior in every way – including racially – he ordered his commander to attack at once. The Italians were slaughtered.

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

Psalm 8:5

The psalmist wrote that God has granted many wonderful freedoms and privileges to earth’s inhabitants: “glory and honor” is upon man, he said. But there is a limit to what you can do, and pride and arrogance can be lethal shortcomings. If you forget this, God will inevitably find a way to remind you that you are, indeed, a “little lower than the heavenly beings.”

Today, pray that America’s leaders will serve in humility and recognize that greatness belongs to God alone.

Recommended Reading: James 4:1-10