Rose was having fun with her cousins at her grandparents’ house. It was a birthday party and she was full from lots of delicious ice cream. She decided that now she would go outside and play on a special wooden play set her grandparents had that was built around a big tree. She explored the play set, noticing the rope ladder that went up the tree to a lookout. That was “just for the boys” — so she climbed a wooden ladder instead. Once up on the platform, there wasn’t much to do, so she explored under the platform, tried out some new swings, and then headed for her favorite pine tree.
Now this was something to climb! She climbed higher and higher, getting sap all over herself, but not caring because she loved to climb! When she was about 10 feet off the ground, she needed a rest, so she stopped to shout at her uncles and grandpa to let them know how high she was. Then she went on ... higher ... and higher ... and higher. The branches were getting farther and farther apart, so she decided she really should go back down, when suddenly ... she lost her footing. She hung on tightly with her hands, but then her hands slipped, and she was falling! Flailing her arms and legs, she fell back through the branches she had just so happily climbed. Finally, the lowest branch stopped her fall and she landed, straddling it. It hurt a lot!
Rose may not have been proud of her tree-climbing, but she reminds me of how a lot of us act. We like to “show off” when we have done something we think is special. We want other people to notice us and to think we are special too!
Proverbs 16:1818Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) tells us, “Pride [goes] before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride is something God hates, so we can be glad when He lets us know when we are proud, and we can confess it to Him and
be forgiven.
Messages of God’s Love 2/23/2025