“Thus says the Lord, “Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.”
– Jeremiah 13:9
Jeremiah 13:9 Reminds Us Pride Is the Root Of Sin
Pride is, in a sense, the root of all sins. C.S. Lewis’s book on Mere Christianity, the chapter on pride in that book is so good and helpful, and it’s a clear reminder that really, when it comes down to it, pride is at the root of all our disobedience to God.
In a sense, pride can be found at the root of all our sin. Let’s call upon God for humility in each of our lives.
Pride, this sense in us that we know what is better than God, what is good for our lives. We always want to choose what we think is best. We don’t want to choose what we think is worst. So, when we sin what we’re saying is, “I think this is better than God’s ways.” And in our pride we set ourselves up against God, and then it just plays out in all kinds of ways. Which means we need to actively, consistently, continually pray for humility in our lives. I need this. We all need this.
Humility before God and others that causes us to submit to God, His ways, to believe that His ways are good, His ways are right, His ways are best. Our ways are not right, good, and best. So, to humble ourselves before God. To say that, to say we need Him to help us follow His ways, and then to let that flow out in humility before others. Not always thinking about ourselves, but loving others as ourselves.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for Humlity
So, God, we pray for humility. God, I pray for humility in my life. Lord, I have so much pride in my life. Please, oh God, help me, help us, to grow in humility, to grow in a right understanding of ourselves before you. Lord, help us to see ourselves in light of your holiness, and your greatness, and all of your attributes.
That’s obviously what’s not happening here in Jeremiah 13:9. They’re just setting themselves up against you, with pride. The pride of Judah, the great pride of Jerusalem. God, may it not be so in us. May we be humble men and women before you. May we fall on our knees continually before you, yield our lives to you, submit our lives completely, totally, surrender ourselves to you in humility. You know what’s best.
Jeremiah 13:9 Leads Us to Trust God
We trust you with our lives. We trust you what is good for us on a daily basis with decisions we make, with the future of our lives, with plans and dreams we have. We humble ourselves before you, oh God. You know what is best, so help us to trust you. Help us to grow in humility in this way. Forgive us, cleanse us of all of our pride. We pray that we might think of self less and think of you more, that you might be exalted in us. God, we pray for this kind of humility in our lives, in our families, and in our churches, in our work, and everything we do. God, we pray for humility. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
