How can believers apply the warning of Ezekiel 29:10 to personal pride? Seeing the Warning in Its Context “Therefore I am against you and against your streams, and I will make the land of Egypt a ruin and desolate from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Cush.” (Ezekiel 29:10) Tracing the Root: Pharaoh’s Pride • Egypt’s king boasted, “The Nile is mine; I made it.” (Ezekiel 29:3) • He treated God’s gift as personal achievement. • The LORD’s response was decisive: “I am against you.” Pride puts a person directly opposite the Almighty. Timeless Principle: God Opposes Pride • Proverbs 16:18 — “Pride goes before destruction…” • James 4:6 — “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” • 1 Peter 5:6 — “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may exalt you in due time.” The pattern never changes: self-exaltation invites divine resistance; humility invites divine favor. Where Our Hearts Mirror Pharaoh Checkpoints that reveal creeping pride: • Taking credit for successes instead of thanking God (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). • Viewing talents, position, or possessions as inherent rights rather than entrusted stewardship (1 Corinthians 4:7). • Resisting counsel or correction (Proverbs 13:10). • Measuring worth by comparison with others (2 Corinthians 10:12). • Speaking of “my ministry… my company… my family” without acknowledging the Giver (Psalm 115:1). Putting Off Pride, Putting On Humility 1. Remember Who owns everything. “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof.” (Psalm 24:1) 2. Redirect praise immediately. When complimented, thank the person and pass the glory upward. 3. Practice secret service. Do good works unknown to others (Matthew 6:3-4); pride starves without applause. 4. Regular thanksgiving. List daily evidences of God’s provision; gratitude dethrones self. 5. Submit plans to God. Say with James 4:15, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 6. Embrace accountability. Invite trusted believers to point out pride’s early signs (Proverbs 27:6). Encouraging Promises for the Humble • Isaiah 57:15 — God dwells “with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit.” • Psalm 25:9 — “He guides the humble in what is right.” • Luke 18:14 — “He who humbles himself will be exalted.” Humility does not erase identity; it rightly aligns identity under God’s sovereign hand. Practical Action Points • Each morning, verbally acknowledge: “Lord, every breath, ability, and opportunity today is Yours.” • Before posting on social media, ask: Will this draw eyes to me or to Christ? • After any accomplishment, kneel (literally, if possible) for sixty seconds of silent thanks. • Memorize James 4:6-10 to renew the mind when self-congratulation whispers. • Review the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 and Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26 monthly; let their stories sober your heart. Ezekiel 29:10 warns that God actively confronts human pride. By humbling ourselves under His mighty hand, we exchange impending ruin for sustaining grace and the joy of living for His glory. |
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