Now I Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven for all His works are true and His ways just and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.
Daniel 4:37
I want to show you another example of God resisting the proud. God will always humble those who walk in pride until we acknowledge He alone is worthy of all praise, honor and glory.
In the book of Daniel, chapter five, we read the story of Belshazzar ~
4They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.5Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. 6Then the king’s face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together. NASB
Belshazzar learns of Daniel who is then summoned to interpret the writing on the wall. From verses eighteen through twenty of chapter five, Daniel rehearses the story of Nebuchadnezzars’ humiliation to Belshazzar. Verse twenty-two says something that always strikes my heart when it comes to family matters,
“and you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart though you knew all this” but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven… …but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.”
The Handwriting decreed the judgment of God and on that very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean King, was killed because he did not honor God.
God always reveals himself for the purposes of life. First Corinthian’s chapter ten and verse eleven exhorts us “…these things are written down for our instruction…” that we might not fall into the same temptations. Paul continued in verse twelve with “…let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
For us all, the pride of life is ever present and is insidious. Insidious is a word we don’t often hear but it pictures a force proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects. Insidious is a mid sixtenth century word meaning ‘cunning’, from insidiae ‘an ambush or trick’, from insidere ‘lie in wait for’, from in- ‘on’ + sedere ‘sit’. Pride of life is only found in this world and is not from the Father. It is a strategy of Satan and it is insidious. Could it possibly be the ultimate lie because it exalts the knowledge of self sufficiency?
As we experience success, notoriety, and our influence in other’s lives increase, we should be keenly aware, at all times, that any entrance we have is only by the favour of God.
I am continually reminded these days of 1 Cor. 4:7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
Living daily with the acknowledgement that we are nothing by ourselves and can do nothing apart from Him is humility and the only guard against pride taking root in our hearts.
Let’s make sure, in all things and for all things, all glory, honor and praise goes to our Father.