Judges 8:1-35; Isaiah 29:1-24; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Lest I should be exalted above measure…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh. 2 Corinthians 12:7
Pride is a danger to us all, even to someone like the apostle Paul. It prevents sinners from admitting their guilt and need of a Saviour. It also hinders saints from honouring Christ and giving Him the first place in everything. We cannot be full of ourselves and full of Christ at the same time. After a unique foretaste of heaven itself, Paul had to endure a persistent and painful physical condition to hold him back from any self-exaltation. In his case, it worked; he regarded himself as the chief of sinners and “less than the least of all saints” (Eph. 3:8). —Clark Logan
Boasting excluded, pride I abase;
I’m only a sinner, saved by grace! —James M. Gray