Years ago, after I had graduated from school with my Masters, I decided to go to my church’s College and Career Ministry. They were having a retreat. I grew up at this church but was so shy as a kid that I never got involved with the youth ministries or any of their camps. So this was my first church camp at 25. I didn’t know anyone. But I wanted to grow in my walk with the Lord. I had this hunger deep inside of me. I wanted to know Jesus better. I had grown up at church, I loved the Lord, but I didn’t know the Word of God that well. I was very timid about sharing my faith, and I struggled with defending my faith during college. But, I really wanted to grow.
At this camp there was this game, the 10 Commandment game. There were two teams and you would race your opponent up the mountain, find the 10 commandment that you needed and you would run back down. I love sports. I love mountains. I love running up mountains. So I entered the game. My commandment to find was: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image”- Exodus 20:4. I was second in line. My teammate ran up the mountain found their commandment and ran back down. My turn. I beat the other girl up the mountain. However, I could not find my commandment. “Where in the world is it?” They had hid them. The other girl comes up, finds the commandment quickly and runs back down. “Oh no you didn’t,” was running through my head. I, sometimes like any girl, can be competitive. The people at the bottom of the mountain were calling up to me the commandment that I needed to find. I was like, “I know! I just don’t see where it is.” I was getting a little embarrassed. I finally found the commandment and booked it down the mountain. I was going to catch up to this girl. I gained ground. But my legs were going a little too fast at one point. I knew I was going down. The only line going through my head at this point was, “Tuck and roll, Alysa. Tuck and roll.” I played soccer in high school. You learn how to fall. Always best to tuck your shoulder. Prevents injuries. I got to the bottom of the mountain and threw the commandment at my team, and hit the ground hard. I tucked. I definitely rolled. The next line going through my head as I was on my hands and knees with what seemed like the entire College and Career group staring at me, “Pride comes before a fall. Literally”- Proverbs 16:18. That was a lesson I will never forget. I have scars on my knees to remind me.
Pride. Doing whatever is right in your own eyes. It’s another mode of self-harm.
I’m reading through Jeremiah 44 this morning and this is what I see. “Pride comes before a fall. Literally”- Proverbs 16:18. The Lord is speaking to Jeremiah about his anger with His people at their unrelenting idol worship. Their land lies now in ruins because they refused to repent and turn to God. The Lord had sent prophets to plead with them to turn from their wicked ways. “Don’t do these horrible things that I hate so much”- Jeremiah 44:4 NLT But the people wouldn’t listen. They continued doing whatever was right in their own eyes. God’s fury got to a boiling point where fire rained upon the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, utterly destroying them- Jeremiah 44:6 NLT. The Lord God Almighty asks, “Why are you destroying yourselves?”- Jeremiah 44:7a NLT He continues to tell them, “Not one of you will survive” Jeremiah 44:7b NLT. “Why arouse my anger by burning incense to the idol you have made here in Egypt? You will only destroy yourselves” –Jeremiah 44:8 NLT .
Through Jeremiah the prophet, the Lord continues to call out His people, “To this very hour you have shown no remorse or reverence. No one has chosen to follow my law and the decrees I gave to you and your ancestors before you”- Jeremiah 44:10 NLT . Can you hear God’s heart? Wondering why they are choosing to hurt themselves but refusing Him. The Israelites tell Jeremiah, “We will not listen to your messages from the LORD! We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and sacrifice to her just as much as we like”- Jeremiah 44:16-17 NLT . Pride. They chose their carved image over God. To their own ruin.
Doing whatever is right in your own eyes = Pride and self-harm. It ends in a really bad fall. So many lives destroyed and hurt because of this sin.
Praise God for His loving grace and mercy. His relentless love shown in the death and resurrection of His only Son, to save us from the death of our sinful choices.
Will you pray with me?
Abba! Thank You for Your Son- Jesus. Thank You for loving us so much that You chose to make a way for us to be reconciled with You in heaven. We deserve death. But Your love conquered. Lord, would You reach those hearts who are struggling with idol worship. Praying they see there is only One God. You are on the throne and in control of everything. There is one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ. As Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”- John 14:6 NKJV. Open their eyes Lord to the idols they have set up in their hearts. Would they see that when they do whatever is right in their own eyes, refusing to follow Your words so clearly spoken in the bible, they are only hurting themselves. Lord, we need to repent of our pride. Everyone of us. Pride ends in a fall and we don’t want to fall. Thank You for speaking straight into our hearts, drawing us to Yourself at the perfect moment. You shower us with Your grace, love and mercy. We love You so much. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.