What lessons can we learn about pride from the "king of the South"? A snapshot of Daniel 11:12 “ ‘When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter tens of thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant.’ ” What pride looks like in the king of the South • Begins with success: victory on the battlefield. • Inflates the heart: “filled with pride.” • Spills into aggression: “slaughter tens of thousands.” • Ends in emptiness: “he will not remain triumphant.” Consequences Scripture consistently attaches to pride • Instability—Daniel 11:12 shows that pride can topple even a winning king. • Imminent downfall—“Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18). • Loss of favor—“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). • Self-deception—“Your heart has grown proud… but you are a man and not a god” (Ezekiel 28:2). • Isolation—“When pride comes, disgrace follows” (Proverbs 11:2). Humility contrasted with pride • Dependence on God vs. self-reliance (2 Chronicles 14:11). • Stewardship of victories vs. ownership of victories (1 Corinthians 4:7). • Lasting honor vs. fleeting applause (Proverbs 29:23). • Continual usefulness vs. short-lived influence (2 Timothy 2:21). Practical steps to resist the king-of-the-South syndrome • Pause after every win and thank the Lord aloud (Psalm 115:1). • Invite accountability; let others speak into your successes (Proverbs 27:6). • Keep short accounts with God: confess pride the moment it surfaces (1 John 1:9). • Serve unnoticed; choose tasks no one applauds (Mark 9:35). • Measure progress by faithfulness, not by applause or numbers (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Final encouragement Victories are gifts, not trophies. Handle them humbly, and God keeps writing your story; handle them proudly, and the story ends like the king of the South—impressive for a moment, forgotten in the next. |
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