HomeWord - April 7, 2015

Sinking Pride

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. —Proverbs 16:18

The story of theTitanic was legendary well before the 1997 movie appeared on the silver screen. Even before the Titanic sailed, this ship was destined to be legendary. It was the largest, most luxurious ship of its time. So confident in its structure, the Titanic’s builders did not include enough lifeboats in order to preserve more room on deck for passengers. It has been reported that one man said, “God Himself couldn’t sink this ship.” Known as the “unsinkable ship,” the Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage in April 1912. Convinced that it was invulnerable, the ship’s crew sent its passengers back to their cabins, even after striking an iceberg. We know the rest of the story. The Titanic sunk. Over 1,500 people died in the icy water of the North Atlantic the nightTitanic went down.

In this age of technology and invention, it is easy to think we don’t need God. People continue to become more and more self-reliant. Sometimes, it can be hard to see why we need God when we can do so much on our own. As people, we seem more capable than ever before. Never in history have the words “self-made” rung so true. Look around you: we have forgotten our need for the Lord.

However, the Bible warns us that pride comes before a fall. Lessons from history have shown us that pride catches up with us. The proud tend not to account for their weaknesses. It is usually these weaknesses that come back to haunt the proud and lead to their demise. “Let the nations know they are merely human,” sings David in the Psalms. Don’t become like the Titanic. Beware of feeling and thinking that nothing can stop you, that you are unsinkable. Keep in mind that not one passenger on the Titanic expected to perish on the voyage.

There is such thing as ungodly pride. This is the pride that does not recognize the need for your Savior. The hardest part about this pride is that too often, by the time it is recognized, it’s already too late…we are already falling.

GOING DEEPER:

1. What are ways you have become a believer in yourself rather than a believer in God?

2. Ask God to reveal the prideful areas in your life.

FURTHER READING:

Genesis 11:4-9; Psalm 9:20; Psalm 62:9-12 

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