God hates the Proud
Proverbs 16:5 Everyone proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful, and exceedingly offensive to the Lord; be assured [I pledge it] they will not go unpunished.
Proud is feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone with whom one is closely associated. having or showing a high or excessively high opinion of oneself or one's importance.
pride is putting oneself in the place of God. it is a refusal to depend on God, but to instead depend on oneself and try to be self-sufficient. it is well also a refusal to give him the glory he is due, but to instead seek the glory for oneself.
Pride is seeing oneself better than the other, having more quality than anyone else and seeks to be honoured more than anyone
Devil is the originator of pride, he was the first person to be proud, he purposed it in his heart, but was disgraced afterwards
Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
Nebuchadnezzar's pride
When King Nebuchadnezzar boasted "Is not this great Babylon that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honour of my majesty." Daniel 4:30, God rebuked his pride and he was driven out from men and lived amongst the animals in the field until he acknowledged and honoured the greatness of Almighty God. "A man's pride shall bring him low." Proverbs 29:33
God hates the proud
Today, many exhibit pride in different ways
1. Many are proud of their spiritual lives,
They boast of their gifts, the numbers of days of fasting and prayers, they boast of their relationship with God, they boast of signs and wonders they have performed, they boast of the numbers of churches they have planted, the numbers of their church members And they see others as not being spiritual as they are... God hates them.
2. Many are proud of their social/ethnic background,
Just like the Jews who always see the samaritans as a rejected tribe from God, so also many are proud of their ethnic background, thinking they are better than the other... Whereas God created all.
3. Many are proud of thier educational qualifications and economical power, they boast of their years of study, awards received, projects completed, the wealth they have acquired and the success they have achieved and in the process believed its all by their doing and failed to reverence and honour God even though it was God that gives wisdom and life.
4. Some are proud of their beauty and handsomeness
Another way the devil deceives the youth today is to make them see their beauty as an achievement... They boast of it, even raises standard for their living through it, some even oppress the other through it... Was it not God that created you?, only a clay.
The consequences of pride is destructions, shame and fall... A king was proud, he was sent to the filed to eat like an animal, devil was proud, he was cast out of heaven, a place of glory
Pride is disgraceful and an evidence of evil, it makes one become an enemy of God and the prayer of a proud person is an abomination to Him
What are you proud of today?, beauty, wealth, money, position, security, educational level, ethnicity, the numbers of your followers or the numbers of the churches you have built. always know that it is not by your power you have acquired this or gotten this far... It can be taken away in a minute and the next minute your life may end
Always reference and honour God in all you do, be humble before God and man...
Always know that the higher the Ego, the harder the fall
God bless you.
Prayer key:
1. Lord, thank you for the blessing of another day in Jesus Christ name.
2. Lord, forgive me for being proud,
3. Lord, give me the spirit of humility and help me to honour you in all I do in Jesus Christ name amen.
4. Thank you for answered prayers in Jesus Christ name. Amen.