Today's Devotional

July 3

If Everybody Was Blind

A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Proverbs 29:23

The following words were preached by one of the most powerful evangelists America has ever known. Charles Finney, a lawyer turned preacher, stated his case with clarity and conviction. Imagine yourself sitting in a courtroom under his piercing eyes. Pride is on the witness stand. Finney lifts his voice and begins the cross-examination.

Recollect all the instances you can in which you have detected yourself in the exercise of pride. Vanity is a particular form of pride. How many times have you detected yourself in consulting vanity about your dress and appearance? How often have you spent more time decorating your body to go to church than you have about preparing your mind for the worship of God? You have gone to the house of God caring more how you appear outwardly in the sight of mortal men than how your soul appears in the sight of the heart-searching God. You have in fact set up yourself to be worshipped by them, rather than prepared to worship God yourself. It is in vain to pretend now that you don’t care anything about having people look at you. Be honest about it. Would you take all these pains about your looks if everybody was blind?

These riveting words should be preached behind every pulpit in America. Millions in our nation attend church on a weekly basis and are more concerned about man’s opinion than God’s. Finney’s right. There would be a major shift in priorities if everybody was blind!

Joshua 5–6:25; Psalms 132–134;

Isaiah 65; Matthew 13