Thursday, October 30, 2025

New Testament Reading Plan: Revelation 15

The Bible is filled with examples of human pride. From Genesis, when Adam and Eve took their first bite of the forbidden fruit, until the final defeat of Satan in Revelation 20, we see how man has exerted himself in pride against God. We also see how pride always leads to defeat. Those who oppose God are sealing their own destruction.

In Daniel 5, we see a king at the height of his glory. Belshazzar ruled the greatest nation of his time. He is co-ruler of the Babylonian Empire, and he was proud of it. People feared and revered him. He held the power of life and death over countless other nations, and he reveled in it. In his pride, he held a great feast to display his wealth and power. However, when his empire was at the height of glory, the LORD stepped in and destroyed it. The once-great Babylon became a wasteland.

Pride is possibly the greatest sin of all humanity. It is a rebellion against God and his good plan, trusting our own wisdom and discernment over what God has revealed to us through Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it appears that the proud are winning; however, James reminds us that pride will not go unpunished forever.

James 4: 6-7
 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

“God opposes the proud

    but gives grace to the humble.”

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Humility is not glamorous and can often be unpleasant. It is more fun to show off our accomplishments and boast about our achievements than it is to reveal our weaknesses. Yet as Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughtiness before a fall.” When we exalt ourselves, we are standing in opposition to God.

We see the ultimate example of humility in the life and ministry of Jesus. He was God, yet humbled himself as a human (Philippians 2:6-8). He was the creator of all things, yet chose to suffer and die for those he created. When we seek to follow the example of Jesus, we find ourselves working with God. He offers undeserved grace for our failures and restores what was destroyed by our pride. In humility, we are built up and begin to reflect the image of Jesus, our ultimate example.

Questions:
In what areas in your life do you take pride?

Do you find yourself pushing back against the instructions found in the Bible?

Next Steps:
Read Proverbs 16 and make note of all of the things that the author says about pride or a haughty spirit. Memorize one of the verses to remind yourself to keep a humble spirit.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus as my example of true humility. Thank you for not allowing me to continue in rebellion against you. Thank you for loving me enough to discipline me when I am prideful so that I can continue a relationship with you. Thank you for the gift of undeserved grace. Help me remain humble and to resist the pride that so easily creeps into my heart. Amen

Series Theme Verse:

Colossians 1:13-14
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

This post was written by Julie Mabus, a Whitehouse attendee, and a regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.