Foolish Pride
Good Morning,
2 Kings 5:10 “And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.”
vs. 11 “But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”
When Naaman was sent to Jordan to wash seven times and be healed, his pride almost sent him home a leper. A servant spoke to him, urging humility and obedience, and the man was healed.
When Pharaoh faced plague after plague, his heart was hardened, and more plagues followed until the nation was in ruins. Humility and repentance would have saved his nation and made him a hero.
In foolish pride, Herod found himself publicly humbled and eaten by worms.
Acts 12:21 “And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them."
vs. 22 “And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.”
vs. 23 “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”
Many a man hears the Gospel and realizes it makes sense. Confronted with his own sin and the righteousness of God, pride wrestles with humility and truth. The ensuing decision determines Heaven or Hell for the man.
Many people would become useful servants of God, teaching a Sunday school class, witnessing to neighbors, or standing up before family, offering their story of salvation and faith, yet pride hinders their actions. That foolish pride then prevents their humbly proclaiming the wonder of salvation and the desperate need for all men to be saved. As such, far too many people never venture into the world of being used of God.
The willingness to say to one's family, "We need God and church," is a risk and demands humility, yet what a profound difference such a moment can make in time and eternity. Many families sit at home every Sunday, trying to find a way to live the full life offered by Christ, yet pride overrules prudence, and great loss follows.
James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."
Pastor