The danger of pride (Hosea 14; 2 Chr 26-27; Ps 61; Matt 20)

Pride is not a good thing. In each of our readings today we see either the danger of pride or the wisdom of humility.

In Hosea we have seen God’s faithful love to His people, wooing them back to himself. In Hosea 14 we see the Lord’s gentle rebuke to His people – “what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer you and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.”

God is saying, trust me! Why go looking elsewhere, can an idol save you? Why talk to something man made when you can look to the one who made heaven and earth! God is the one who looks after His people. Trust Him. That’s easier to do when we are weak! When everything is going well for us, we might be tempted to be proud and trust in our own strength. That’s what happened to king Uzziah.

In 2 Chronicles 26:16 we read “when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.” He thought he could decide how to worship God his own way, he didn’t need to listen to what God said in His Word, the results were devastating.

In Psalm 61 we see what the king should be like, he should depend on God for everything, he should know God as his refuge. We find this fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who depended perfectly on God all His days and who will be king forever. He is the one we are to depend on.

But when James and John think about the kingdom, they are after power! They want to be great. Jesus has to rebuke them, teaching them to serve others. Look at the example of Jesus “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Come to Him and give Him your pride and independence, let him take it for you, He died so that you can be forgiven. Take instead His yoke upon you and learn from Him. What a joy it is to depend on Him, why look elsewhere. God says “It is I who answer you and look after you.”