Today’s Devotional Theme
Pride Comes Before a Fall
Daily Scripture
Psalm 76:1, 6-9 (HCSB)
"God is known in Judah; His name is great in Israel...At Your rebuke, God of Jacob, both chariot and horse lay still. And You-You are to be feared. When You are angry, who can stand before You? From heaven You pronounce judgment. The earth feared and grew quiet when God rose up to judge and to save the lowly of the earth... Selah."
Encouragement
Israel, at the time Asaph wrote this psalm, was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel, and the southern kingdom of Judah. The northern kingdom had rebelled against God, so He sent the Assyrian army to defeat them. This came after numerous warnings for Israel to repent and turn back to God. Israel had built a shrine and worshiped there instead of in Jerusalem, where the Lord had instructed. The rich also boasted in their riches while exploiting the poor and needy, something else the Lord frowned upon. Israel had broken His heart by breaking the covenant He had set up with them. The southern kingdom of Judah, however, feared the Lord and kept His commandments, so when the Assyrian army saw that they could sack Israel, they thought that little Judah was going to be a piece of cake. But as they camped against Judah, an angel came and struck down roughly 180,000 men while they were sleeping. So now, instead of the Assyrian army plundering Judah, the people of Judah walked out and plundered the Assyrian army.
Apply God’s Word
The problem that brought God's judgment was pride. Francis Frangipane, in His book, The Three Battlegrounds, said, "Pride is the armor of the enemy." God hates pride. Both Testaments attest to the fact that He is opposed to it (see Proverbs 3:34; 1 Peter 5:5-7). Israel boasted in their putting together what they thought was a convenient form of worship so they wouldn't have to travel all the way to Jerusalem, and in their riches. Assyria was THE ruling empire in those days, and they boasted in that. But Judah only could boast in the Lord. They were small. Because they humbled themselves, God took care of them. In what, or whom, do you place your trust? Really think before answering that question. God wants all of our trust (see Proverbs 3:5-7). This comes through knowing Him, which is His greatest desire for us. Knowing God comes through daily time spent with Him, and daily time spent with Him forms trust so that our boasting will be in Him, not in things or people. Humble yourself and let the Lord be your everything. You'll be glad you did.
Come into His Presence
God, there are so many times that my day gets in the way of time spent with You. The fact is, I get so caught up in everything but You, and then wonder why I'm not hearing from You. Please forgive me for placing You on the back burner of my life, allowing the seemingly-important stuff to get in the way of our communion. Be the center of my life. I know that when You are, everything else will fall into their proper place and Your voice will be heard and understood more clearly. In Jesus' name, amen.
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