Humility and Pride affects Spiritual
Health and Emotional Wellness of individuals and nations.
Have you ever known of someone who presumed to speak on your
behalf, conveying a message that you did not give or words you did not say and
then to have the audacity to manipulate the words you did say to serve
themselves and discredit you? We would
consider such an act to be offensive. Taking
it to a higher level, can you even imagine the ramifications when one offends
the name of God by presuming to speak on God’s behalf conveying a message as if
God had given them the authority to speak on His behalf when in reality they
are using those words to promote their own agenda? God and God’s word are
sometimes treated with such frivolity. An attitude of disrespect for the Holy
exists in the land and often promoted by politicians, preachers, and others who
are, driven by their own selfish agendas in their quest for power and
prosperity.
I recently read, “The Harbinger”, by Jonathan Cahn. I found
it intriguing and sobering. From a practical perspective it increased my
knowledge of American history. Shame on me, but I wasn’t aware that New York
City was the first capitol of the United States of America. Nor did I know that
Saint Paul’s Chapel on the corner of “Ground Zero”, which survived the collapse
of the Twin Towers, was the place where George Washington and Congress
worshiped and dedicated the nation to God when the first President of the
United States was inaugurated. I wasn’t
even familiar with how “Wall Street” got its name. The spiritual aspect was
sobering as I learned about the eerie similarities between Isaiah 9:10-11 and
the events and aftermath of September 11, 2001. I encourage you to read, The
Harbinger.
Getting back to my opening comments, two high ranking
leaders in the United States quoted Isaiah 9:10 in relation to the terrorist
attack on the country. While we may have viewed the mention of Scripture by
such high ranking politicians as noble, like them, we were blinded by what was
really going on. Quoting from the Scripture, making reference to Isaiah 10: 9
as God’s Word, they then used it to try and rally the people to hope in the
aftermath of 9/11.and to offer comfort to America. In other words they took the
tragedy and God’s word to articulate a message to serve their own purposes.
Most people embraced it as a good thing without knowledge of the truth behind
it.
May I point out that it is a very dangerous thing to presume
to speak on behalf of God a message that is not from him and to offend Him by
manipulating it to serve your own agenda. It is one thing to misrepresent man,
but it is catastrophic to misrepresent God. It is equally as wrong to mistake a
warning from God and its intended purpose as an act of evil. This lesson can be taken from the lives of
the two leaders of the United States of America who gave the historical
speeches I previously referred to. Senate Majority Leader Daschle, September
12, 2001 and Presidential candidate John Edwards, September 11, 2004. Later the two became victims of scandal.
In Isaiah 10:9 the leaders of Israel were responding to a
warning by God, which was given to them as an opportunity to repent and turn
back to Him. Instead of acting in humility, they stood up in the spirit of
defiance and with arrogance and pride, proclaimed that they would overcome in
their own strength. This same approach of arrogance pride and defiance was used
by the United States used after 911.
Christians who are not grounded in the Word of God may have
the same reaction to adversity or tragedy. They blame on the evil what God intended to use as a warning for them to
return to Him, and in arrogant defiance rise up in this spirit (mistaken for
the Holy Spirit) and proclaim victory and project bigger and better to satisfy
their own agenda not God’s.
" Pride goes before a fall and a haughty spirit
before destruction”, so said King Solomon thousands of years ago, a message
from God which has proven to be true.
Like the Nation of Israel and the United States, we have a tendency
in times of crisis to turn to God in prayer, but fail to humble ourselves and
turn from our wicked ways. Before long we take pride in our self-sufficiency and
continue in our wicked ways without any repentance. In such perilous times we need to turn to God, as prescribed in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
“ if My people who are called by
My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal
their land.”
I will continue with the topic of pride and humility and its
effect on our emotional wellness and spiritual health in my next post.
Until next time
Blessings!
Pastor Harold.
