The Two Sides of Pride

Genesis 11:3-8 -  And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.  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 scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."  And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built.  And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.   Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."  So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 

Man has always had the ability to accomplish great things within himself.  That is a good thing when you allow God to walk beside you…tell you how to do it…show you how to use it for his glory and kingdom. The problem is when we try to…make a name for ourselves…or build something ourselves.  Even the righteous seed of Noah was corrupted by Satan once again and man began to realize the capacity of their brain to figure out how to do things…without God’s help. The pride they harbored in their heart found strength in the unity of one nation and one language…they saw how strong they could be as they increased in numbers…but God saw this …one nation…and this one language as a hindrance. He saw the pride building in man’s heart….and knew that Satan would the abilities of man to make them evil again.  He could see the world corrupting itself back to the condition it was in when he sent the flood…and it upset him.

I wonder if it had just rained…and that rainbow appeared to remind him of his promise to Noah. Or maybe he looked over at his son and bowed his head low…and whispered to him… “Man has such a mind of his own. Satan will keep corrupting Shem’s linage until I do something to cover his family. I need to keep his family protected…to make them my people…and teach them how to rely on me.”  So he came down and confused the languages…and scattered the two cursed lines of Noah’s family to other parts of the world. …and bought some time…while he welded a plan for Abram to be born.  While he fit the pieces of a great puzzle together….and waited for the father of the Israelite nation to be old enough…wise enough….righteous enough to father the seed that would bring the Messiah…the son to Earth to die for our sins…and save us once and for all from the evil that corrupts us and puffs us up with pride.

Pride is something I fight every day.  When God gives you an ability …some people more than one….he intends for you to use it to his glory...for his purposes. I was given two talents that I am sure of…this new writing task…and a meager voice to sing praises to him. It is very hard to put into words the fight that goes on in my head daily….the fight to sing ‘my own’ songs…or write….’my own words.’   Satan tries to convince me that I should sing more solos…or I should publish my writings to earn a living.  Satan has me checking my fb and blog to see if people liked what I wrote.  That is pride folks…the kind that God frowns on…so I must daily turn my talents over to him…and wait for him to tell me what to do with them. If you could hear me as a write these devotionals every morning…you would hear me call out to him to help me….more than once as I type what I think he wants me to say. I want so much for these talents he has given me to be used to bring people closer to him...to bind us back together …to help God save as many people as I can before it is too late!

Father...I thank you for this reminder that I must guard against pride. I can be all things when you are with me….but I am nothing but a hindrance to your plan when I act apart from your direction and love.   Help me Lord to remember that you created me with a brain that can do so much more than I ever will realize. Help me to always ask your help and direction before I do anything…even those things that I know will be positive ways to spread your love to others. Help me to remember that you have a plan…and I am only one small piece of it…and that I need to follow your timing…and do only those things that I know you are ready for me to do. Thank you God for the skills you have given me to help increase your kingdom….help me Lord to use them to your glory and help lead others to your truth. Amen.