Tag: pride

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Was It Not I?

Daily Reading

1 Chronicles 18-21

Daily Thought

“After this,” the first two words of 2Chronicles 18, point backward as the cause for what follows. God reminded David, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth (2Chronicles 17:7-8). Now watch what happens “after this”: “David defeated the Philistines and subdued them” (18:1); “he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David” (18:2); “David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah-Hamath” (18:3); “David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians” (18:5). In chapters 19 and 20, victories continued. He defeated the Ammonites and more of the Syrians. Rabbah was overthrown, and “David took the crown of their king from his head” (20:2). “Thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites” (20:3). Finally, the the giants of the Philistines “fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants” (20:8).

“The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went” (18:6, 13), but by chapter 21, after winning over and over again, David began to think he had more to do with the winning. That is the temptation of success: “Was it not I?” David’s pride began to grow, so God used the master of temptation to expose it, “then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel” (21:1). The census was designed by David to display his might, but it was designed by God to betray his heart. The sin of the census reminded David of his true strength and returned his heart to God. David’s sin became David’s confession, “Was it not I who gave command to number the people?” This is not a question, but a statement, the confession of a godly man, no justification, no rationalization, no shifting the blame. “It is I who have sinned and done great evil” (1Chronicles 21:17). The best confessions begin with the pronoun “I” and include no other. He owned it.

Daily Prayer

God Almighty, You are my Lord and my Savior. You go before me and I do well to follow You. You lead to victory over sin, over Satan, over death, and You give me faith, hope, and love. Yet, I continue to do things on my own, seek to be in charge, and steal the glory that rightfully belongs to You.

What amazes me is Your mercy and grace. When I confess my failures, when I acknowledge my sin and my need of You, You grab my hand again, forgiving me, and leading me again along that wonderful path of Yours, the path that leads to life. You are my true Strength, the Master of my life.

Amen

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The Deadlier Disease

Daily Reading

2Kings 4-5

Daily Thought

Naaman, commander of the army of Aram, showed up at the door of Elisha with power. Horses and chariots, silver and gold. He also showed up with leprosy. Naaman thought himself a great man and should be treated as such. God, however, is not impressed with power and Elisha, the prophet of God, instead treated the leper, not the great man, “Go, wash yourself in the river.” Naaman went away angry. Naaman was a hero and expected a hero’s cure, something flashy in keeping with his stature. “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper” (2Kings 5:11). Naaman thought his problem was leprosy. Elisha treated a deadlier disease called pride.

A Roman centurion, a great man and mighty warrior, showed up at the door of Jesus with his servant who was paralyzed and suffering. “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Matthew 8:8). God is not impressed with power, but delights in humility and faith. Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment (Matthew 8:13).

I come to God to fix my problems, my illnesses, my finances, my enemies. Instead, God treats the deadlier disease, my pride, my greed, my lust. That’s the miracle. 

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, why do I try to impress You with what I can do? As if I can bring anything to You that You need. You created all things, You own the cattle on a thousand hills. It’s not because You have any need that You delight in my company. You simply delight in my company. I don’t understand that, but I’m thrilled.

God, thank you for healing my heart. I bring nothing to You except my faith, my devotion, my obedience, and my love.

Amen

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A Name Remembered

Daily Reading

2Samuel 16-18

Daily Thought

Absalom, the son of David, was pretty and proud, and, for a moment, stole the hearts of the people and his father’s crown. “Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight (2Samuel 14:25-26). The custom of royalty was to drench one’s hair in fragrant oils, braiding in gold dust and jewels and piling it high above the head as a crown of glory. Absalom had an abundance of glory on his head. That glory would be his downfall.

“Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King’s Valley, for he said, ‘I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.’ He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s monument to this day” (2Samuel 18:18). Absalom desperately wanted his name remembered, and it is. Mention to a Sunday School class the name Absalom and they will tell you about David’s son, and they will tell you about his his long and beautiful hair, and then they will giggle, because he got it stuck in a tree. “Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on” (2Samuel 18:9). 

While he dangled, David’s soldiers discussed what to do until Joab “took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak” (2Samuel 18:14). Thus the crown returned to the rightful king David. Absalom wanted his name remembered, and it is. How it is remembered should have mattered more. 

Daily Prayer

Father God, protect my heart from seeking my own benefit. Whenever I seek my own, it costs somebody something. May I learn to live completely content with the riches I have in You, so that I will be someone who seeks to serve rather than be served.

I have learned love, the highest love, sacrificial giving love, from You. You who knew no sin became sin so that I might be brought into Your family. You delight in me. There is nothing I can add to Your worth or Your wealth. You have no need of my offerings or my sacrifices. All that I am, God, comes from You. I am happiest when I pursue what You have created me to do. Take my desires God and shape them to Your will. You delight in me. I long to delight in You. May I desire You fully forever.

Amen

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Self-Made People

Daily Reading

Genesis 12-15

Daily Thought

Written one after the other, there is a noteworthy contrast between the stories of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and Abram (Genesis 12:1-3). Both the people of Babel and the children of Abram aspired to become a great people. Abram’s hope came from God. God said to Abram, “I will make your name great” (Genesis 12:2) and promised the 75-year-old and childless man he would give birth to a great nation. The citizens of Babel, instead, pursued a glory of their own making. “Let us make a name for ourselves” (Genesis 11:4), and they began building a marvelous city with a tower that reached the heavens. 

Both had their eye on a great nation and a great name, but the difference is self-made versus God-made. The people of Babel said, “Let us make”–they desired to do without God. Abram’s vision, on the other hand, was stamped “Made by God.”  Because Babel was self-made, they were made for themselves. Their focus was inward, “lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” God, rather, turns our eyes outward. 

The difference is self-made people are made for themselves and God-made people are made for everyone else. Put yourself in the hands of God and let him do the construction “and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. ~Ephesians 2:10

Daily Prayer

Creator, You made me.  Fearfully and wonderfully, you formed me for a purpose.  You are in charge, You are God, and, best of all, You are good.  My passion is to do the good You have made me to do. To be a blessing, as I have been so blessed.  To love, because You first loved me.  

I find myself on my knees in worship, because I am amazed, in awe of You.  The heavens and earth proclaim Your majesty.  And You would think of me, one so small?  In my smallness, You’ve placed Your image, given me Your Spirit, and You call me to be a blessing to others.  Of course, I’ll do it!

Amen

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Pride

Daily Reading

Genesis 8-11

Daily Thought

Why was it wrong for the people of Babel to build a city and a tower? (Genesis 11:1-9)

Debbie and I were staring into the sun watching our 7-year-old’s soccer game. I had a hat; Debbie didn’t, but wished she had and thought she left one in the car. I hiked to the car and looked and found no hat. Taking off my hat, I returned to the sidelines, and put it on her head. She thanked me for getting her hat, and did not notice I was missing mine. She never noticed. Finally, after the game, we walked to the car and I opened her door, and as she got in, I took my hat off her head and put it back on mine. I wanted the recognition and I was willing to trade nobility for it.

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” ~Genesis 11:4

God created us to fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28; 9:1). He created us to worship Him and rule the world. But the people of Babel said, “No thanks. We’d rather stay in Babel and make a name for ourselves.” They wanted the recognition and they were willing to trade nobility for it.

God made us in His image, reflecting His glory, but we prefer the praise and the image of God is dulled. We pay a terrible cost for our pride.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, God of glory, You are so very much worthy of my devotion and praise. I see Your handiwork in creation, I sense Your majesty in myself made in Your image. But most of all, I see You in Your Son, Jesus Christ. The authority of heaven blended with the humility of grace. Born in a manger, died on a cross, You rule on the throne of heaven.

May I follow You so closely that Your ways become mine. To be first, be last. To serve rather than be served. To be a praise giver, not a getter. To love You and others.

Amen