Reading your Bible for Today April 13

April 13: Proverbs 21:4

KJV Key Verse: Proverbs 21:4
4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

Devotion:
We saw yesterday that we are so easily blinded with pride, but what are the immediate consequences of that pride? First off is the separation of ourselves from God as discussed yesterday. But what we may not realise is how it separates us from our friends and family too. As soon as we let pride take control we start to raise ourselves above our positions and to lower others from theirs. No longer do we see people as our co-labourers, or as equals, but as inferiors. This immediately shows up our sin against Jesus’ very words, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”.

Second is the trap we set for ourselves... The more we get caught up in this pride, the more we are willing to break the rules. The more we break the rules, the more we continue to separate ourselves from God and from others. People begin to see in us something which they may not have seen before; a barrier is raised against them. No longer do they see the light (God’s light) which once shone, but a darkness creeping in. Sin has a habit of covering more than just our own lamps.

And third, the trap we set for others! Sin will spread just as quickly as the light once did because we all have an inbred sin nature. The more we get caught up in pride and sin, the more it will take over our lives. The more it does, the more others will be tempted to give in to the same sin and join us in breaking God's law. That is when our lives become a danger to others as well as to ourselves. That is when we plough our fields and scatter our sin rather than God's seed. All because of a little pride which went too far.

Recognising pride is not that easy because it is as though we are wearing blinkers and cannot see what we are doing to anyone else, only concentrating on what we are doing for ourselves. But when we see how we have hurt someone, we know we have gone too far. The first that you will hurt is Christ as He sees the change in your spirit...

Points to Ponder:
Who is 'king pin' in your group?

We need to remember that God must always be first in our lives.