God loves the humble. God hates the proud. This is demonstrated over and over in the Bible. If you want to be shown mercy and grace by God, humble yourself. He’s sure to relent and forgive you only if you will humble yourself. It’s as if God is so eager and ready to forgive and relent from wrath that he gives us every chance to humble ourselves.

A king of Israel was upset at the prophet of God and sent 50 soldiers to capture him. The prophet, Elijah, sent a fire from heaven to consume those 50 men. Then the king sent another 50. And those 50 were also consumed. Then, the king sent another 50. But the captain of that 50 humbled himself, knelt before the prophet and begged him to spare his life. And God relented and did not consume the last 50.

Tens of thousands of men would not have lost their lives and thousands of parents would not have grieved over their dead sons if only two men – Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon simply declared their defeat in Vietnam during the Vietnam war. But they couldn’t swallow their pride and let themselves be the first American president to lose a war. So, to safeguard their name and legacy, they let thousands of young men go to their death, knowing that the war would never be won….

Pride kills. Not only ourselves, but also those we are put in charge of.

You are never stronger than when you are on your knees begging God. You are the safest when you make yourself vulnerable before God. The problem is not out there in the world. The problem is in here in myself.

PH