As they had their pasture, they became satisfied,
And being satisfied, their heart became proud;
Therefore they forgot Me. Hosea 13:6
Wow! What a great time we had at InStep last weekend but what great challenges we were confronted with! The message on our need to be humble servants…those who ‘gird the apron’ and serve, even those whom are least deserving - that’s what spoke and challenged me deeply!
The insidious sin of pride is so deeply rooted in all of us that many don’t see it for what it is and how it makes its mark in our lives. For example, look how pride made its mark in the nation of Israel in Hosea’s time. They became satisfied with the life of their choosing and its direction. To be content with our lot can be good in itself, but look at what Israel’s satisfaction produced…their hearts became proud! How subtle is the sin of pride? It underpins all expressions of sin, and exposes its ugliness in a variety of ways. Israel’s sin was they forgot God… but prideful hearts were the underpinning push!
How we need to be careful to examine all our actions and motives and repent of our pride when it raises its ugly head. We need to kill pride when it begins to move, because if we don’t - the Lord will!
C.H. Spurgeon once said, “No matter how dear you are to God, if pride is harbored in your spirit, He will whip it out of you. They that go up in their own estimation must come down again by His discipline.”