No one will ever be able to stand against the Lord. Many have chosen to defy Him throughout the centuries, but all have failed. Pride is the killer of many.
"Everyone proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord; be assured - I pledge it - he will not go unpunished." Proverbs 16:5, Amplified
Pride can take many different sizes and shapes. Take for instance, self pity. Self pity is a hidden form of pride. Remember, pride is not how highly one thinks of himself, rather it is how often he thinks of himself.
As we think about ourselves more and more there is no more room for other people, nor is there room for the Lord. How is one to watch after the orphans and the widows if he is consumed with self? No praise can be given to a Savior, for pride deludes us into thinking that we are the highest and mightiest beings in our lives.
Pride will allow us to reap the reward of punishment, however. If we think only of ourselves, then we too must become the end all of everything in our lives. We must be the savior. deliverer, rewarder, provider for ourselves. What could the punishment be for this particular mindset? I do not know, however I do not want to find out. There have been many different men who have proven themselves prideful and answered to the Lord on different occasions and in different ways. Ahithophel was King David's closest friend but was for Absolom. In the end, Ahithophel killed himself. Cain ended up a wanderer and a nomad in the world after rising against his brother and killing him. Both of these examples are of self pity (because remember that pride is not how high but how much). But here is a final example of pride. "Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king's personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king's country. So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration tot hem. And the people kept shouting, 'The voice of a god and not a man!' Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied." (Acts 12:20-24, NKJV)
Pride will consume everything it touches, even you. Pride does not care about your pedigree or nationality. Pride is an unsatisfied force in the lives of human beings. Do not allow it a foothold in your heart.
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