The Pride of the People

The Lord GOD has sworn by himself, declares the LORD, the God of hosts: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.” And if ten men remain in one house, they shall die. And when one’s relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, “Is there still anyone with you?” he shall say, “No”; and he shall say, “Silence! We must not mention the name of the LORD.” For behold, the LORD commands, and the great house shall be struck down into fragments, and the little house into bits. Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—you who rejoice in Lo-debar, who say, “Have we not by our own strength captured Karnaim for ourselves?” “For behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD, the God of hosts; “and they shall oppress you from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of the Arabah.”
Amos 6:8–14
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The Pride of the People
The pride of the people of God is their downfall. Our ego places itself in opposition to the living God. Every sin is a sin of pride. It places the person in a higher station than God. We all see this. We think we know better, or we cannot understand why anyone would not agree with our understanding of our situation and life, let alone the living God. We devise our own lives and our plans and then are shocked when God gives us something else or leads us in a totally different way. Kicking and screaming we fight the plans that God has for us. We even devise our own absolutions—how God will deal with us according to our sins. Like the Prodigal Son, we say, “make me like one of your servants…” Our pride holds on even then and we give commands to God. God already has a plan for your salvation and our pride and our station before men is not it. He sends forth his Son, Jesus, to pay the price for your sin and then restores you to his station and place. The blood of Jesus tears away our pride. Our faith clings to his cross alone and leaves pride and ego in the dirt. The Son of God empties himself on the cross and fills you with those good and righteous things. Thanks be to God that he has a plan for you, and you are not left to your own devices.