Spurgeon Morning and Evening March 6 PM

Biblical Context

The book of Proverbs gives us wisdom for living well. It’s a collection of sayings, mostly from King Solomon, who asked God for wisdom to rule his people. These short, punchy statements aren’t just good advice; they’re truths about how God’s world works. Proverbs teaches you how to live smart, how to make choices that lead to life instead of trouble, and how to stay right with God and with people. You’ll find a lot about being humble, working hard, controlling your words, and trusting God with all your heart.

Key Word Study

Let’s look at the word ‘haughty’ from our verse. In Hebrew, it’s ‘גָּבַהּ’ (gavah), which literally means ‘to be high’ or ‘to be lifted up’. When we talk about a heart being haughty, it means it’s lifted up with pride. It’s about being arrogant, feeling superior, or thinking too highly of yourself. It’s the opposite of being humble or lowly. A haughty heart looks down on others, trusts in its own strength, and doesn’t see its need for God.

The Warning Signs of Pride

It’s an old saying, ‘coming events cast their shadows before them.’ The wise person tells us a haughty heart is like a shadow thrown by coming trouble. Pride is a sure sign that destruction is on its way, even surer than the mercury changing in a weather-glass tells you rain is coming. When people have acted like they’re better than everyone else, trouble has always found them.

When Greatness Becomes a Burden

Think about David’s heart, heavy with sorrow. It shows you that when a person gets too caught up in their own greatness, their glory starts to fade. You can see this in

2 Samuel 24:10: “And David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.'”

David’s pride in his army brought great pain. He had to face his foolish actions, and it showed him that trusting in numbers instead of God brings a heavy heart.

The Fall of a Mighty King

Look at Nebuchadnezzar, the powerful builder of Babylon. You find him crawling on the ground, eating grass like an ox. His nails grew like a bird’s claws, and his hair like eagle’s feathers. That’s a strong picture, isn’t it? It’s all there in

Daniel 4:33: “Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.”

Pride turned that boastful man into a beast. It’s the same kind of pride that once turned an angel into a devil. God can’t stand high looks; He always brings them low. Every arrow God shoots is aimed at a proud heart.

Pride in a Christian Heart

Christian, is your heart feeling proud this evening? Pride can sneak into a Christian’s heart just as easily as it gets into a sinner’s. It can trick you into thinking you’re ‘rich and increased in goods, and don’t need a thing.’ Are you feeling proud of your good deeds or your talents? Are you boasting to yourself about your holy times and sweet experiences with God?

Listen up, dear reader, there’s a kind of destruction coming for you too if you hold onto pride. Your showy flowers of self-importance will be pulled up by the roots. Your quickly grown ‘mushroom’ graces will shrivel in the burning heat, and your self-sufficiency will become as useless as straw for the trash pile. If we forget to live humbly at the foot of the cross, God won’t forget to make us feel His rod. A destruction will come to you, believer who’s gotten too full of yourself—it’ll be the destruction of your joys and your comforts. But don’t worry, your soul can’t be destroyed. That’s a promise.

So, the wise word for you is this: ‘He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.’ Put all your boasting, all your confidence, all your joy in God alone, because He’s the one who deserves it all.