God’s Word has much to say about pride, humility, and wise living. When we heed its counsel, it can help us avoid many of the pitfalls that lead to embarrassment, humiliation, or disaster. But pride can make us think we would never do such and such and don’t need God’s help.

Even within Jesus’ inner circle, prideful, self-confident Peter had told Jesus he would never deny Him. Yet, three denials later, as he heard that rooster crow, he must have experienced the worst grief and humiliation of his life!

In what way might you be thinking or saying, “I would never ________” … you fill in the blank?

Today’s Readings:

2 Kings 7 & 8
Psalm 72.8-16
Proverbs 18.12-13
John 18.19-40

Pride Can Cause Us to Think, “I Would Never Do Such & Such!”

John 18.19-40:

Peter’s Pride

I couldn’t help thinking about today’s passage from Proverbs when I read John 18 about Peter’s denial. Prideful, self-confident Peter had told Jesus he would never deny Him (Jn. 13.37). But Jesus responded:

Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times (Jn. 13.38).

Now here in chapter 18, Jesus has been arrested:

¹⁵ And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. ¹⁶ But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷ Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”

He said, “I am not.”

Verses 25-26:

²⁵ Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”

He denied it and said, “I am not!”

²⁶ One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” ²⁷ Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

Can you imagine, three denials later, when he heard that rooster crow and the words of Jesus came flooding back? The heartbreak Peter must have felt! The shame!

In Our Pride

In our pride, we too, often think we could never sin in “such and such” a way, so we let down the guard rails, pridefully thinking we can handle “it.”

We start having lunch with a co-worker of the opposite sex because we’re just friends. “I would never commit adultery!”

We contact an old flame on Facebook just out of curiosity. “I would never get re-involved with him!”

We go out with an unbeliever. After all, we’re not getting married! It’s just a date! “I would never marry an unbeliever!”

But I have sat in the counseling room too many times with someone who says, “This wasn’t supposed to happen! We were just friends.”

Or with a single woman who is pregnant or so emotionally involved with an unbeliever that she’s justifying why it’s OK to keep dating him or even marry him.

Or with someone whose spouse committed adultery after reconnecting with someone else on social media.

Let’s value our marriages, our testimonies, and our relationships with God enough to realize that we’re all capable of being deceived and falling into Satan’s traps. The only way we can avoid them is by following the warnings in Scripture, staying dependent on God in prayer, having courageous friends who will speak the truth to us, and not playing around with anything that could tempt us to sin.

Today’s Other Readings:

2 Kings 7 & 8:

God’s Gracious Provision in Tough Economic Times

God often used famine to bring judgment on rebellious nations, but He always provided for those who kept their eyes on Him.

In yesterday’s readings, Samaria was suffering from a terrible famine because the Syrians had the city under siege. It was a common method of warfare to cut off all the supplies to a city and starve them out. But, at God’s instruction, and without a battle, the siege and consequent famine came to an end.

Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’” (2 Kings 7.1).

God’s deliverance began with four lepers sitting at the gate of the city. As they talk about their situation, they realized if they went back into the city, they would starve to death with everyone else. If they stayed where they were, they would starve, too. They thought, why not surrender to the Syrian army and hope for mercy? They realized they had nothing to lose, even if the Syrians killed them, they would be no worse off than they already were!

To their surprise, when they entered the camp, no one was there. God had caused the Syrians to hear what they believed was a great army and they had fled in terror, leaving behind their supplies and a great deal of wealth. An amazing example of God’s provision and deliverance.

God’s Provision in the Midst of Judgment

Then in chapter 8 with the story of the Shunammite woman, the writer injects another story about famine and God’s provision. For a number of reasons, many Bible scholars believe this took place earlier chronologically. The famine in both cases came as a result of God’s judgment on idolatry and apostasy, but in both cases, we see God’s, ultimate provision. In chapter 7 the provision came as a result of God’s decree and without any requirement from His people (2 Kings 7.1). He simply extended grace to the whole city.

But in chapter 8, we see a beautiful illustration of God’s provision even in the midst of continued national judgment. He not only warned and provided for this woman but when it was over, restored everything she had lost (2 Kings 8.1-6).

As believers, we need to keep our eyes on the Lord and trust in His ability to provide, but we also need to heed His warnings. In the case of the Shunammite woman, God sent a message through the Prophet Elisha telling her to flee her homeland because of the coming famine. Today God warns us primarily through His written Word and it has much to say about wise living and, if heeded, can help us avoid many of the pitfalls that lead to disaster.

Psalm 72.8-16:

Deliverer to the Poor & Needy

For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper (v. 12).

God has always been the defender of the poor when they turn to Him in faith and humility.

Proverbs 18.12-13:

Pride and Its Consequences

Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility (v. 12).

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov. 16.18).

Another translation of verse 12 says, “Before everything falls apart a man’s heart is haughty …”

It seems warnings about pride are a common thread in today’s readings. But, too often like Peter, when we are in the most danger of a huge fall, we are the least open to wise counsel. Let’s pray that we will heed God’s warnings and that He will provide us with friends who will speak the truth to us when we seem blind to it ourselves.

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk more about the importance of godly friends, family feuds, spiritual ditches, and finding hope when the pressure seems too much. We will also talk about how to respond to criticism and how to tell if our Christianity is just a veneer.

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Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.