A boastful Heart
Proverbs 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
A boastful heart is a heart that shows excessive pride and self-satisfaction in one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.
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.
It 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.
Satan is the first to be boastful in heart, 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.
Satan was striped off his position among the angels of God and cast down bellow, His total destruction awaits him in the end of days prepared in the lake of fire. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
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 among 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
The fear it the Lord is the begining of wisdom, and the wisdom is to hate evil, Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Many exhibit a boastful heart in several ways today
1. Spiritual life
Many 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 Boast 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 Boast 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 boast 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.
James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
God gives grace unto the humble, he honours those who are humble in heart, and raised them up in His glory. But the proud He shun and forsake.
1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
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 Boast of today?, beauty, wealth, money, power, 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
Be humble in everything you do and give glory to God for what you have and where you are.
Remember, the higher the ego, the harder the fall. Remember Satan.
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 boastful,
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.