Jeremiah 48:29 We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

Jeremiah 48:42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.

In this morning’s reading, God is pronouncing judgment against nations, and in context including His own. The verses above are specifically in reference to Moab. It stood out how well God described Moab’s pride in a single verse. He used five words to sum up his pride: proud, loftiness, arrogancy, pride, haughtiness – as if one or two wasn’t sufficient. But later in the chapter we see why God was so down on their pride. It was because he had “magnified himself against the Lord.”

As I think of the passage above, it’s easy for me to think “they deserve it. Look how proud they were. They actually magnified themselves against the Lord.” But if I take a good look, a deeper examination of my soul, I may be guilty of the same at times. For, pride is simply taking credit for that which rightfully belongs to or comes from God. Is that not, in a sense, lifting myself up against Him? I may not think of it or say it that harshly, but my prayer this morning is that I’d stay humble, as that is the spirit that the Lord can us, whereas a proud spirit is likely to fall.