I Know The Pride Of Your Heart
In one of the Bible stories of David the shepherd boy, David
was sent by his father to check on his brothers. His brothers were fighting with the army of Israel
against the Philistines. He watched as Israel's
mighty men cowardly resisted the challenging giant Goliath. Goliath taunted
them and yelled words to stir up fear in their hearts. He was huge and intimidating.
David's brother reacted to David being there and said these
words. " I know the pride of your heart."
But his brother was wrong.
His courage in what the Lord could do through him, seemed as pride to
his brother, but instead it was courage and faith. God had given David great strength to overcome
something way stronger than himself on more than one occasion. David had spent hours upon hours singing
praises and meditating upon the things of the Lord while watching over the
flock. Then one day a bear endangered
the flock, but David did not fear and killed the bear with his bare hands. Then on another alarming day a lion threatened their lives ,
but David was filled with the courage of the Lord and God empowered David to overcome his enemy.
David knew the Lord was with him and he had no fear as he stood
against the mighty Goliath. All the men
in Israel's army watched as God used
someone much smaller and weaker than they. He may have been smaller and seemingly less
important to them, but God chose the weaker and turned him into a leader.
So many people are so ready to judge another person's
motives just as David's brother judged his motives. He really didn't know his brother at all even
though he knew him most of his life. David
was not bragging that he was able to kill huge ferocious animals with his bare
hands. Nor was he bragging when he was
ready to stand before the Giant Goliath.
He was empowered by what he knew God could and did through him. He was a witness of how God can use anyone who will believe in what
God can do and who will have courage enough to be the one to make the difference.
Don't be so quick to judge another's heart or their motives. Sometimes you can't see the whole picture
but God knows the heart.
David's judgment of his brother was wrong. I wonder how many times we as Christians have
accused someone of pride and we were wrong.
David's brother was the guilty one when it came to pride, because he
felt more important than his brother.
Susan Y Nikitenko
February 16th, 2014
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1 Samuel 17:17-20
And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;
And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.
1 Samuel 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
1 John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
