Pride's Destruction. Praise's Defense.

Complete awe at the magnificence of God's plans and the working out of His purposes is my morning take-away from devotion time.  That and immense thankfulness for the awe because in the readings, the consequence of puffed up pride horrified me. 

Babylon's judgment was outlined.  Babylon, who had been used by God for His purposes, erred in rejoicing over Israel's chastisement.  God said Babylon was striving against Him.  Beware of thinking you stand unless you fall is the New Testament admonishment.  Every step of the life of faith is on Holy Ground!  The moment we forget that, pride enters in and begins it ugly work.

Daniel's end-time vision revealed the same message.  It showed a goat that magnified itself, creating 'peace' through the elimination of sacrifices (of reverence!) that destroyed.  While Daniel was fore-seeing an earthly reality yet to come, I see mini-versions of that destruction all around me.  When we inflate ourselves with perceptions of power and purposes of our own, we bring devastation into our worlds.  Daniel's vision made him ill for days...seeing the awesome-ness of God will lay us low!  And oh, the power of falling before the King...the power of a lifestyle of worship!