I have a confession to make. For years I avoided reading the Psalms in my personal devotion time. I think that somewhere in my prideful heart I assumed that the Psalms were for people who couldn't handle the rest of the Bible. In my mind they had become a kind of, “Bible Lite.” This attitude was full of pride, obviously, and since I’m confessing this to you, you've probably guessed that at some point I must have had a change of heart – and you’d be right. It wasn't many years ago that I reached the end of myself. Have you been there? The uttermost, absolute end of yourself? While I stood there at the end--the end of me, the end of me knowing where my life was heading, what my purpose was, what to do and not to do, say and not to say, it was there, in that place of utter desperation and brokenness that I discovered The Psalms. Oh where had they been all my life? How could I have possibly disdained them? Why did I never devour them before? What a prideful fool I had been. So … [Read more...]
Pesky Five Letter Word
Four letter words are foul and ugly. But did you know that there is a five letter word that can be just as bad, if not worse? P R I D E. Yeah, yeah I know. We should all have pride in our work and pride in our children. Those are the good qualities of pride. When pride gets in the way of our relationship with God, however, that’s where the trouble begins! I have always thought of myself as a humble person. I do not consider anything I do better than anyone else. So when the topic of pride came up, I was astounded to realize just how much it has played havoc with my life. For instance, as most of you know, I hate my van. It is ugly, old, ugly, impaired, ugly, and not dependable. Did I mention that it was ugly? I have been ashamed to be seen in it! I mean really…I drive nice vehicles, not ones that look like that! Can you say conceited? Prideful? It was during one of these complaint sessions with God that it dawned on me (with some divine help, I am sure!) that maybe, just maybe, God … [Read more...]
The Daily – The Danger of UNteachable Pride
Have you ever heard a sermon or teaching and immediately felt annoyed, or maybe like this was definitely NOT a message for you? I have. Now, there have been times, when the message was just downright nutty. However, that is rare. Most of the time (especially since I am VERY careful whom I allow to speak into my life), it is right on the money. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the meek and poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. - Proverbs 16:18-19 (amplified) Pride is destructive to the person who holds the pride. Pride prevents us from hearing God's Truth and learning what He wants us to learn. Pride is a terrible disease of the heart that many of us have and are too prideful to even see it! LOL! What exactly is pride? Note: I am only focusing on the selfish side of pride for this study. Taking pride in your work and how you maintain your home are not what I am talking about here. We are only … [Read more...]
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