“God, Have Mercy On Me, A Sinner”

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14

Do you look up or down? With God in your life you will never look down, you will always look up at him. As long as you are proud, you will be looking down, not up.

Pride can be an issue for all of us. May we not look down on others but instead see the God who is far above us all.

Spiritual pride is the most arrogant of all kinds of pride.

Our Daily Bread – August 13, 2013