The Overwhelming Importance of Understanding How Much God Dislikes Pride and Idolatry!

18 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Scrip-Bit   18 July 2026   Isaiah 42:8.

Isaiah 42:8.        ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’

And it’s a wonderful kind of day for enjoying a lazy-day Saturday inside! Meaning that it’s humid, somewhat cloudy and raining; the perfect weather to just wrap up in your covers and go right back to sleep. I enjoyed a little of that earlier on, but unfortunately had to get up and come down to write the Bit. Chuh man!

Hopefully and thankfully though, the little rain will wash away some of the smoke effects from the forest fires still burning ferociously up in the north country. Although I’m just noticing that the computer is telling me that the air quality is very poor. Now, let’s pray that whatever little rain might fall up there will help to put out those fires and more people won’t have to be evacuated from their homes and possibly lose all of their life’s work to the fiery elements. And before we get too deeply entrenched in our lazy-day Saturday activities, (smile) let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth.

As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And there’s no doubt that if the Lord checked our hearts and found them to be sincere in desiring greater intimacy with Him, that He will soon issue orders for a heavenly kind of peace and calm to fill our souls, for His eternal desire is to get close to, and intimate with all of His human creation. Now today, we’ll look at an interesting scripture from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, regarding the King of Tyrus’s pride.

First off, let’s note these words from Cousin Sol in Proverbs. ‘These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him (his soul). A proud look (haughty eyes), a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations (devises wicked schemes), feet that be swift in running to mischief (evil), A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.’ (Prov. 6:16-19)

So we see the things that get God’s anger moving, and the first one is foolish pride, a sin of which so many of us down through the ages have been guilty of and for which many have been punished, because when you are haughty and prideful, you’re saying that you don’t need Almighty God, you can do it all yourself. Remember how the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar claimed that he had done all the wonderful work of his kingdom himself, and before the words could come out of his mouth the Lord sentenced him to seven years of madness, eating grass in the field like oxen, until he came to realize who was the One true God and admitted it to all and sundry. (Dan. 4: 28-37)

Now apparently the king of Tyrus (Tyre), did likewise. The Bible tells us: The word of the Lord came again unto me (Ezekiel), saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up (proud), and thou hast said I am a God (a god), I sit in the seat of God (gods), in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God (a god), though thou set thine heart as the heart of God (a god):

Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and has gotten silver and gold into thy treasures: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick (trading) hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches.’ (Ezek. 28:1-5)

Oh my people, that surely sounds familiar to all of us, because all of us know somebody or bodies whose pride has been lifted up by their riches. That someone might even be one of us. (smile) But please, please, I plead with us, let’s not go down that road, because the Lord will certainly make an example of us as He did with the king of Tyrus (Ethbaal III (591/90 -573/72 B.C.), for saying that he was a divine being, a god and behaving as such, when he was only a mortal man, as God pointed out to him in verse 2 above.

Then Ezekiel continues: ‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God (a god); Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible (most terrible) of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.’ (Ezek. 28:6-10)

And we know when the Lord makes a promise, He keeps it. Ah friends, pride is one of, if not the worst sin we can commit against God for it totally leaves Him out of the equation, and that He will not stand still for. Remember His words from Isaiah: ‘I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.’ (Is. 42:8)

Yes my brethren, the Lord guards His praise and glory very zealously, so let’s be careful not to get on His wrong side by exhibiting things like pride and idolatry, for we will surely suffer the negative consequences. Much LOVE!

…the Lord He is God…and will prove it to anyone…who tries to say or do otherwise…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Overwhelming Importance of Humility in A Christian’s Life! Part 2!

15 Aug 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

1 Peter 5:5b.        All of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Now don’t be surprised that the Bit is so early friends. You know there must be a good reason for it, (smile) an early medical appointment in the concrete jungle called Toronto. And is it ever disgusting having to go there with all the road closures and the traffic jams and the building construction at every turn. Brother! I don’t see how people could live down there now nuh. Fifty odd years ago, when I first came here, living in Toronto was wonderful. But now it’s gotten so big and ugly and competitive, that it’s lost the glow it once had.

But that’s only my opinion. Other’s might have a much more positive take on the situation. And that doesn’t stop them from sending up loud shouts of ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday! And the weekend is here.’  Welcoming the weekend is one of the important things we do nowadays. And oh, the CNE, the Canadian National Exhibition is opening its yearly fair today down on the CNE Grounds on the Lakeshore, so there will be even more traffic than normal. But since we cannot do anything about any of the those things that annoy or frustrate us, let’s see what the Lord has for us to talk about today.

Well, it seems to be the very important but rather touchy subject of humility. And what is humility? Basically, it’s a freedom from pride and arrogance. In scripture, it’s sometimes referred to as meekness; a modest but strong nature. And one of the things that God hates is false and overbearing pride. As Cousin Sol says in Proverbs: ‘These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination to him.’ (Prov. 5:16) And the first one is a proud and arrogant look, or haughty eyes. (Prov.5:17) And to help us deal with Humility, one of the recently published Prayer Cards by the In Touch Organization deals with that very problem.

Oh yes, it is a very serious problem in today’s world, as our society is much more interested in being proud and arrogant then being meek and humble. So please pray this prayer from that card with me. ‘Father, those who walk in humility radiate Christ’s presence. Teach me to be truly humble. Cleanse me of pride and help me embrace the meekness of my Saviour, whose Spirit lives within me. May my words and actions be full of kindness and respect for others. Give me the grace to accept correction, seek forgiveness, and show mercy. I welcome whatever You send into my life to humble me. You are the Master Potter. Thank You for Your hand at work. Amen.’

Now that’s a tough prayer to pray, because when you ask God for things like humility, be sure you’re going to encounter circumstances in which you’ll need it. And things like humility only come through tough and ofttimes painful circumstances. And the Prayer Card ends with this interesting note. ‘Is a current challenge teaching you humility? Rejoice – God is shaping you.’ Yes friends, we can only be shaped in the master Potter’s hands through tough times. But we must rejoice, for it’s bringing us closer to the perfect image of Christ.

And the scriptures  the Prayer Card uses, comes, most appropriately from 1 Peter.  ‘Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’ (1 Pet. 5:5-7) And we all know that to be the gospel truth, although we don’t always manifest it in our lives. But to be truly like Jesus, we need to be always, or as much as possible, meek and humble.

Jesus said it Himself in the Great Invitation. ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of (from) me, for I am meek and lowly (gentle and humble) in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls.’ (Matt. 11:29) Oh my people, there’s no one as humble as Jesus! Although He controls the universe, He never finds it necessary to boast, be haughty or arrogant, and for humans that comes only when you have an innate strength found in the person of Christ. It’s like Bruh Paul writes to the Philippians about Jesus’ earthly journey.

‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant , and was made in the likeness of men (emptied himself of his privileges): And being found in fashion (appearance) as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.’ (Phil. 2:5-8) And we know the reward the Father granted Him for such humility and obedience: The exaltation of His name being above every other name, and that every knee should bow to His name, and every togue confess that He is Lord, all to the glory of the Father. (Phil, 2:9-11)

Likewise my fellow believers, if we humble ourselves, our heavenly Father will indeed exalt us in due time like Peter says. Now, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Friday Chant, seeking divine help for our chaotic and disastrous world. Altogether: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough…  because our many serious problems are escalating instead of improving. And it’s obvious we can’t fix them on our own, so Lord, we’re desperately crying out for your help.

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. We therefore ask you Lord to give our leaders the wise guidance to handle these unexpected storms properly. And please help the rest of us to be responsible and to stay safe amidst all the anxiety and confusion of these ungodly times. We fervently pray too Lord that you’ll use the discontent and dissatisfaction in our land as a means of restoring faith in you.

Return backsliders to your fold. Show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. So that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

And though our prayers might be heard, I believe the Lord expects, and most certainly deserves better Christian witness from us, before He floods us with divine aid. And they say a word to the wise is sufficient, so please let’s show ourselves to be wise nuh. Much LOVE!

…to be truly Christlike…Christians must manifest humility in their everyday lives…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien