ANYA         AMAH

                             

                          ( p r i d e )

 

     Pride=DOWNFALL.  If some of us do not humble ourselves, we may miss out on our healing, delieverance, or the biggest blessings of our lifetime.  It is quite interesting how pride will cause us to think and behave as if we have the ultimate authority over our circumstances or are invicible.  Listen, when God humbles you, then you will see where the power truly lies.  Today, Im not speaking to those that are faint at heart, but to those that simply need a reality check.

 

                                                                     Proverbs 11:2- When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

 

      Let's look at scripture for a moment, Daniel 4:1-33. King Nebuchadnezzar was arrogantly prideful; Daniel 4:30 states,

 

                         "As he looked out across the city, he said, 'Look at this great city of Babylon!  By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city

                          as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor."

 

      At that time King Nebuchadnezzar was ruling over the empire of Babylon.  God gave the king a vision of his demise and restoration but needed Daniel to interpret it because at the moment, he was unaware of the meaning behind it; Daniel 4: 24-26 says,

 

                          "This is what the dream means, Your majesty, and what the Most High has declared will happen to my lord the king.  You will live in

                          the fields with the wild animals.  You will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with dew of heaven.  Seven periods of time 

                          will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the word and gives them to anyone 

                          he chooses."

 

     If you read the Word, Daniel told him he should repent; mind you, the King Nebuchadnezzar basically had a year to do so (can you say God's mercy?!)  But unfortunately, he did not.  Eventually, King Nebuchadnezzar went insane and knew he was insane but could not do anything about it for years.  God has the power to do as such to make sure we are aware of us being mere mortal men. Eventually, God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to rule over the land of Babylon again,  but the difference this time was that the king was aware that it's not by his own might, nor by his own power, but only by the Spirit of God that he was able to obtain his social status including the blessings that came along with it.

 

 

                                                              Proverbs 18: 12- Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

 

 

     God will not humble you in public before warning you in private.  God will tell you in private of things that does not please Him.  But if you do not take the initaive and humble yourself and repent, the chance of God humbling you in public is quite high.

 

      I was in a relationship for more than 4 year (yes, with a few breakups in between).  Let me tell you, I was very boastful and prideful about that relationship at that time, but subconsciously, my pride soon lead to idolatry.  I use to be religious and a hypocrite.  I knew of God but did not see the point of living for Him because I could've careless and plus I was "in love."  My heart, soul, strength, and mind was offered to him as if he was the Creator of my life.  However, God has an interesting way of calling you for His purpose, especially if you're hard headed and prideful.  The Lord broke us up and it was painful to the core.  I felt as if my life, my everything was stripped away from me all at once.  No where and no one to turn to, with tears stolling down my face daily, Jesus Christ could only understand those tears I cried.  That was God's way of humbling me and taking me from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His marvelous light.

 

      God is not out to get us, that is just not in His nature.  He desires for us to have life and it have more abundantly, but sometimes we can stop or delay ourselves from experiencing the freedom and the blessings that He has for us due to pride. You know, pride is a heart condition.  So today, be honest with yourself and ask God, "Am I prideful?"  If you are aware that you are or if God begins to show you, simply ask him for forgiveness and for the spirit of pride to be removed from your heart, and for the spirit of humulity to reside and be established within you.  Remember, He loves and has patience for you.

 

 

                                      Isaiah 66:2- My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and eveything in them are mine.  I, the Lord, have spoken! 

                                                                                I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts; who tremble at my word.