Guard You Heart With Humility

 

 

Ezekiel 27:1-3 - The word of the LORD came to me:  "Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre.  Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'You say, O Tyre, "I am perfect in beauty."

 

God had more to say to the people of Tyre.  He wanted them to know that concentrating their focus on the beauty of their city…that bragging about their riches… that letting pride become an idol in their lives was not acceptable.  They thought they were important because of the success and beauty they had achieved.

 

It’s just one more reminder that God does not like pride…especially when it puffs us up and makes us think we are better than others….or what we have collected around us is more beautiful than anyone else’s stuff. Proverbs 16:18 says…pride goeth before a fall. 

 

James takes the problem of pride to another level and reminds us that we do not have a clue what the next hours of our lives hold. It says in James 4:13-16… “Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

 

God wants our lives to be constantly guarded by humility…and a sense that he is in total control.  He wants us to always maintain a humble dependence on him. If we let pride sneak into our hearts…that humility is damaged….and like a virus in a computer it will eventually control or even shut down our relationship to God.

 

Father… thank you for the reminder that you are in control of my life and know what is best at every moment you allow me life on this earth.  Forgive me for the times that I let pride consume my heart and keep you from controlling my thoughts and actions.  Help me to build a sense of humility that will always guard my heart from attacks of pride.  Help me to live more in this present day and let you do the worrying about my future.  Amen.