Daily Devotions
The Sin of All Sins
Reading for August 18th: Jeremiah 47-48
We have heard of the pride of Moab—
he is very proud—
of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance,
and the haughtiness of his heart.
Moab shall be destroyed and be no longer a people,
because he magnified himself against the Lord.
Jeremiah 48:29, 42
What motivated Eve to eat the forbidden fruit? She saw that the fruit was good for food and pleasant to the eyes, but every tree in the garden was described as being good for food and pleasant to the eyes (see Gen 2:9). What was it that made this tree stand out among the rest of the trees in the garden? It was the promise that this tree would make her wise like God (Gen 3:5-6).
Pride is the sin of all sins because almost every sin can be traced back to it. Take fornication, for example. Fornication would be classified as a "lust of the flesh" or a "lust of the eyes," but consider the fact that this sin is one of the clearest expressions of pride. By committing this sin, you are placing your own selfish desires ahead of everyone you hurt by fornicating. Is that not pride? Is that not an elevation of self?
Pride also has a way of hiding itself, because it is the nature of pride to justify self. Pride motivates the heart to rationalize and to put oneself in the best possible light. Pride prevents clear self-reflection and correction. It makes us believe that we're doing good or that we're at least motivated by good when we're doing evil.
That's why God's judgment against pride is so severe. If God can no longer prick the conscience, it leaves him no other choice but to afflict us in ways that we will understand. God knows how to exercise "tough love" and is not afraid to discipline his children.
So, we must constantly take a hard look at our hearts and root out pride whenever we see it.
Father, humble us to the point that we can see ourselves clearly. Whatever it takes, Lord... Bring us to our knees before you!
