Dave’s Monday Blast – October 9, 2023
In Proverbs 16:17 – 19 we read: The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud. Translation, PRIDE is DANGEROUS. It is something that Scripture clearly says the Lord hates. So if there is pride in your life God will want to help you remove it. And He might allow you to experience failure as a means to that end. Oh boy! Have you ever experienced this truth my friends?
IN TOUCH, a daily devotional ministry, shares an example of this from Joshua 7. The nation of Israel had won a mighty victory in Jericho and became rather prideful. Considering themselves to be invulnerable, they became disobedient to the One who had given them the victory.
The author comments: “In arrogance, a soldier named Achan ignored God’s instruction concerning the spoils from the battle of Jericho. Israel then proceeded to the town of Ai, but instead of the easy victory the soldiers expected, they suffered a humiliating defeat. Joshua and the elders of Israel humbly cried out to the Lord, who led them to confront the sin in their midst and then conquer Ai.”
What is your response to success and accomplishment? Do you puff up with pride and revel in the praise of others or do you acknowledge that God gave the victory?
What is your response to disappointment or failure? Do you throw your hands up in frustration?
Do you struggle with a sense of inadequacy? Do you blame God?
The next time you experience success or failure observe your responses:
In those moments we must remind ourselves of these stories of God’s faithfulness from the Word. In those moments we must seek to discover what the Lord wants us to know in and from this moment of success or failure.
