Esther 5-10
Devotion by Carla Hardy (Michigan)
Proverbs 16:18 says: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” I think the perfect poster child for this proverb is none other than Haman, the villain of the book of Esther.
Haman had a lot of plans, didn’t he? He plotted and schemed and thought he had everything locked in. He was the king’s right hand man and proud to be in that position.
But, when his true colors were revealed to the king, he was taken down. And he fell hard.
We might look at Haman’s story and think, “Of course! I saw that coming. If only he’d read Proverbs 16.” But, as we see in Jesus’s words in Matthew 7, sometimes we can’t see the log in our own eye.
I’m not immune to feeling prideful. It comes out in me sometimes, and I’m willing to bet that it comes out in you, too. It’s so easy to spot and talk about someone else’s sin. But it’s not easy when we have to face our own.
So when we feel pride creeping in, what do we do? Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Every good thing we have, every good thing we are…is God’s. He is the source, and recognizing that we can do nothing apart from Him is humbling. And it halts pride right in its tracks.
Reflection Questions:
- Have you ever had, or witnessed in someone else, a downfall from pride?
- How do we protect our hearts against what Proverbs 16:18 warns us about? Is there a Scripture that speaks to you about this?
Seek Grow Love 