Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Worshiping Own Achievements

God's People Worship
The Prophet and Praise

Meaningless Worship

Isaiah 2:10-17

The Message

Pretentious Egos Brought Down to Earth

10 Head for the hills,
    hide in the caves
From the terror of God,
    from his dazzling presence.
11-17 People with a big head are headed for a fall,
    pretentious egos brought down a peg.
It’s God alone at front-and-center
    on the Day we’re talking about,
The Day that God-of-the-Angel-Armies
    is matched against all big-talking rivals,
    against all swaggering big names;
Against all giant sequoias
    hugely towering,
    and against the expansive chestnut;
Against Kilimanjaro and Annapurna,
    against the ranges of Alps and Andes;
Against every soaring skyscraper,
    against all proud obelisks and statues;
Against ocean-going luxury liners,
    against elegant three-masted schooners.
The swelled big heads will be punctured bladders,
    the pretentious egos brought down to earth,
Leaving God alone at front-and-center
    on the Day we’re talking about.

For Reflection
It is the curse of success.  After the sacrifice and heavy work is done and one can bask in success, after the awards and the words of praise from admirers, well wishers, wannabes and the jealous, one can become enamored with his or her own success.  Ah, the self-made person!  Seduced by self-fulfillment, and shielded from the reality of his or her triumph!

No one does it alone.  All people have others to thank for their achievement.  Lulled into a false sense of security, one may fool him or her self in thinking that he or she is above consequence.   No one is above consequence.  

Pray
for humility while basking in success.  Pray prayers of thanksgiving for God's blessings.  Praise God for all that goes well in your life.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please post comments here.