Edition 44 of my Pride study

Friday, October 14th

Edition 44 of my Pride study

My last scripture that I will be looking at in the Old Testament that contains the word “pride.”

Zechariah 10:1-12
1 Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone. 2 The idols speak deceit, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd. 3 "My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the LORD Almighty will care for his flock, the house of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. 4 From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. 5 Together they will be like mighty men trampling the muddy streets in battle. Because the LORD is with them, they will fight and overthrow the horsemen. 6 "I will strengthen the house of Judah and save the house of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them. 7 The Ephraimites will become like mighty men, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the LORD. 8 I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before. 9 Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return. 10 I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. 11 They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria's pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away. 12 I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will walk," declares the LORD.

Desolate (adj.):

1. Devoid of inhabitants; deserted.


2. Barren; lifeless.


3. Rendered unfit for habitation or use.


4. Dreary; dismal.


5. Bereft of friends or hope; sad and forlorn.

Right now, I feel I need God to answer me. I feel desolate and dreary. Better than yesterday, but still, I could be better. Why is it that when you feel sad, you move into yourself? I am still trying to push through, but it seems extremely hard. I feel as though (and this is a right feeling) as a Christian, I need to be outward focused.

Proverbs 11:24-25
24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Refresh others and you yourself will be refreshed.

Refresh (verb):

1. To revive with or as if with rest, food, or drink; give new vigor or spirit to.


2. To give new freshness or brightness to; restore.


3. To make cool, clean, or moist; freshen up.


4. To renew by stimulation.


5. To fill up again; replenish.


6. To cause to recuperate; revive.


7. To renew by stimulation.

Whose heart to I revive? Do I stimulate others? Do I give any new vigor to anyone? Am I refreshing anyone? I struggle with the thought. I reach out for friendship, I need it. I hit my wife in the face during the midst of a bad dream. I hurt because of it. I can’t seem to get past it. I try but without understanding of how I could do such a thing. I know that subconsciously I knew she was sleeping beside me, and yet a throw a punch in her direction. WHY? I ache for an answer from myself. And I know that in due time God will answer, but am I patient enough to wait? Do I have a choice? I do, but if I force something, then I take away the great victory that is to come.

1 Corinthians 13
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

1 John 4:16
16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

With these two scriptures, I can then conclude this: God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. God never fails.

God is protecting me. He is protecting my wife. In some amazing way, God is trying to reveal something that I am missing. God does not fail me. That is what I am going to have to hold on to today…