DEVOTION – DAY 429

Isaiah 2:12 “Beware Of Pride”

Isaiah 2:12 “The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all the exalted (and they will be humbled).”

The Lord sent Isaiah to warn Israel against their sins of idolatry and pride. Isaiah warned the Israelites that there would be the Day of the Lord. The Lord would judge them for their pagan idolatry, their love for worldly possessions, for their arrogance and human pride in Isaiah 2:6-11. Thus, those who have been found to be proud and lofty would be humbled.

We recently had the opportunity to share the gospel with a good friend who was a free-thinker. She had prided herself for her good business sense and she was successful in all she had done. She admitted that there were a number of occasions when some of her other close friends had also tried to share the gospel with her. She said that these friends had given her the impression that they were somehow more superior than she was, simply because they were Christians, and she was not. She felt slightly offended by their arrogance even though she never told them. She also felt that she was better in terms of behavior than some of these Christians. Thus, she did not think she needed to be a Christian if by being a Christian, she would somehow consider herself superior over non-Christians. 

Her remarks is a reminder to all Christians that there is no place for pride in their lives. Christians are sinners redeemed by the grace of God through belief in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They have nothing to be proud of because they are sinners just like every other non-Christian. Thus, they must replace pride with love in trying to share the gospel to others. Their motivation to share the gospel is to love others just as God loved them first. For non-Christians, their self-sufficiency and pride in their own achievements often blind them to their need for God. They think they can manage life on their own terms and do not need God. Their pride in themselves is the reason why God will humble them when the day of judgment comes. Their pride becomes their stumbling block. 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for warning us against the sin of pride. Please help us to replace pride with humility and love for others so that by our actions, we can point others to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We humbly pray in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. What are some examples of pride you have seen in others? How have such shows of pride affected you? Share.
  2. What are some examples of pride that you are guilty off? Share
  3. What can you do to show more humility and less pride to others?
  4. Why is it important for you to be humble towards others? Discuss.